Hear from Miriam Joyce, graduate trainee manager

Miriam studied an integrated master’s degree in chemical and process engineering at the University of Surrey, which sparked her interest in working in the cement industry. She entered Heidelberg Materials’s three-year cement graduate training programme in September 2020 to gain wider experience in the area. An advocate of engineering for all, Miriam is now a graduate trainee manager and has been involved in a range of projects – from plant operations to reducing CO₂ emissions from cement sites. 

“I was introduced to the idea of a career in the cement industry while working with engineers on the reconstruction of an area of London, as part of my master’s degree. Here, I learned about using demolition waste as a raw material in the manufacture of cement – an interest heightened by a research project that made me realise the problems faced by the industry in terms of CO₂ emissions.

“I decided to join Heidelberg Materials’s graduate trainee manager programme to focus more on the cement side of the business and have been given access to a wide range of training, including studying for a diploma in cement studies at the University of Derby, which complemented the on-site learning I was experiencing. 

“Since joining Heidelberg Materials, I have been involved in work across a range of departments and have enjoyed doing shift work on-site, which has enhanced my understanding of how cement plants operate. I’ve also been involved in some small and large projects, particularly those with an environmental focus on reducing site CO₂ emissions, which has allowed me to apply and expand on the knowledge and skills I gained during my university degree. 

“Engineering has led to the role I’m in now and I would recommend it as a career choice to anyone who has an interest in mathematics and science. It gives you the opportunity to see the experiments you performed at school being done on an industrial scale and is an appealing choice to those who enjoy problem-solving and analysing data. It also provides an outlet for creative and innovative thinking.”