from coast to construction
Leaving university can be a daunting time for many young people seeking to enter the job market. And it was no different for Laura Golledge. But after completing a degree in geology, she decided a part-time job just wasn’t going to cut it. So, she decided to take the plunge…literally.
Laura is the area general manager for the East Midlands readymix division at Holcim, and it’s safe to say her career to date has taken her places where only a few have dared to venture.
back to the foundations
Laura's story begins towards the end of her stint at university – a time when students are considering just how they are going to make their mark on the world.
“After completing my degree in geology, there was a bit of me that wanted to prove myself as a woman in a male-dominated industry,” Laura said. “If I’m being honest, industries associated with geology and construction looked like a fun prospect and I wasn’t scared of trying something out of my comfort zone.”
During this final year of university, Laura started applying for jobs and came across multinational oilfield services company Schlumberger. She sent in her application and received an invite to an interview in Aberdeen.
“Bear in mind, I hadn’t gone further north than Yorkshire at this point and I’m such a southerner through and through!” Laura said. “I rang my dad and asked if I could go to this job interview in Aberdeen the next week for an offshore job. I think it’s easiest to say he was very shocked but supportive!
“I landed in Aberdeen and I remember there being snow on the ground because it was in January. I had the interview, got the job and started working on offshore oil rigs in the North Sea in August – straight after I left university.”
During her two years working on the rigs, Laura was briefly posted offshore in Morocco before returning to the North Sea. But the ever-changing shift pattern meant Laura struggled to plan her life outside of work.
Laura said: “I could be on a rig for two or three weeks, come home for 10 days and then be back out at sea again. I couldn’t really organise my life outside of work and there was no balance for me.”
After taking the decision to leave, Laura reached out to construction materials producer Breedon North.
“I started working at the company as a trainee quarry manager and learned how to batch concrete and asphalt as well as how to drive a loading shovel,” she said. “I have a very logical brain that really enjoys solving puzzles, which I think is why I’ve worked in construction for so long.”
In her current role at Holcim, Laura no longer works hands on with aggregate. Instead, she oversees the financial success of nine readymix plants across the East Midlands.
After joining Holcim as operations manager just before the start of the Covid pandemic in February 2020, Laura progressed to project delivery manager for HS2, then area general manager, before starting in her current role in January 2024.
Her working day never looks the same, whether it’s attending customer meetings or dealing with operations – something Laura loves about her job.
And her thirst for learning will refuse to be quenched, with Laura completing a second degree, this time in mineral extractives, and undertaking more training and courses to advance her career.
“I’m a sucker for studying, I just can’t help it!” she admitted.
navigating the construction tide
Though Laura’s career has been full of big wins, as a woman in construction, there have also been challenges she has had to overcome.
“I think there are a lot of preconceptions about being a young female in this industry,” Laura said. “Not so much in your day-to-day work, but rather when I was visiting rigs, people would be like ‘who is this straight-out-of-uni, fresh-faced girl?’. It made me want to prove myself even more.
“I think that’s definitely been the biggest challenge; just simply proving I can actually do my job. Besides that, I think no two days are ever the same, meaning we have to juggle priorities and get the most out of our teams while keeping momentum up. I’m a positive person, which makes it easier to maintain morale and make sure my teams are working in the right direction, but it’s definitely a difficult thing to get right.”
Men and women make up an equal proportion across Laura’s teams, operating in various roles, something of which she is proud. But she’s still keen to encourage more women to don the PPE.
Laura said: “We definitely have a strong female team. I think it’s important to acknowledge that, yes, there aren’t a lot of women working on the plant, but let’s be honest, readymix concrete isn’t a very glamorous place to work. However, it’s incredibly rewarding and if you are a problem solver, like me, it’s amazing to see the progress tangibly being made. Our industry is a physical thing; we can see what we build and where all our hard work goes, which I love.”
ocean calling
Although Laura’s time working at sea has come to an end, she can’t quite keep herself away from the call of open water. Outside of her job at Holcim, she loves a good, cold dip.
Laura said: “I did go swimming on Boxing Day last year! When I lived in Scotland, I used to swim in the North Sea in between walking my dogs along the beach in the evening. I now live in London, so can’t be much more landlocked! I do miss living so close to the coast, but I also love where I live now.
“I keep myself busy with other things besides open-water swimming, such as cooking and gardening. I spend a lot of my time at home in the kitchen, and I grow my own veggies to use in recipes. I’m also a keen skier so I tend to go skiing every winter season.”
They say variety is the spice of life, and this couldn’t be truer for Laura. She embodies what it means to give something a go and has proven that a career in construction doesn’t look the same for everyone.
