At Tarmac we are committed to supporting and developing our employees so that they can excel within the industry. A great example of this is Josh Mason, Mountsorrel’s quarry operations and development manager who joined the company’s higher apprenticeship scheme in 2014.
Initially Josh was based at Tarmac’s Bredbury Asphalt plant working as a trainee operations manager. His day-to-day duties included carrying out daily safety inspections, operating the weighbridge, mixing asphalt and operating the loading shovel.
Speaking of the higher apprenticeship scheme Josh said: “As part of the development programme, apprentices are given the opportunity to expand their skills by working on placements at different sites, so you can get a better understanding of the business and the different career opportunities available to you. During this time, I got the chance to work at Crown Farm Quarry, Borras Quarry and Ballidon Quarry, which was a great learning experience.”
It was at Ballidon Quarry that Josh finished his higher apprenticeship and was taken on permanently as assistant quarry manager. Twelve months later he was promoted to quarry manager.
In 2019 Josh moved to become a production manager in the East Midlands, managing a mix of sand and gravel quarries and concrete plants.
Speaking of his career with Tarmac so far, Josh said: “I am very grateful to Tarmac for the opportunities I have been given since joining the higher apprenticeship scheme. It’s been great to have been able to work in so many different roles and have the opportunity to develop my skills in these areas.”
In November 2020, Josh was appointed as quarry operations and development manager at Mountsorrel quarry where he manages a team of 33 people. The team is responsible for the safe extraction of rock, including planning and managing the blasting schedule, along with the initial crushing of production stone.
On his role at Mountsorrel Josh said: “I am very excited to have joined the team at Mountsorrel as it is such an important site for Tarmac. It is a challenging role, but I am really enjoying it.
“The part of the job I really enjoy is managing the team and helping people develop their skills so they can really excel and get the most out of the time they spend at work.
“I have really enjoyed my time with Tarmac so far, I am very grateful for the support they have given me to progress within the company.”
It’s not all hard work for Josh though, in his spare time he enjoys playing golf, going to music events and watching the rugby.
If you are interested in applying for a position at Mountsorrel Quarry or finding out more about the apprentice and graduate schemes, please visit our careers tarmaccareers.com