Concrete, Camera, Action!

Apprentice Ahmed on balancing his Holcim career with his role as an army reserve

From an early age, a keen interest in practicality and the desire to be in a hands-on working environment sparked Ahmed Dhahir’s curiosity for the world of engineering.

It laid the foundations for a career in the construction industry and led to Ahmed undertaking a mechanical operations and engineering technician apprenticeship with Holcim. He is currently in his second of the four-year course, splitting his time between working on site near Ashbourne, Derbyshire and attending college in Birmingham.

When on site, Ahmed monitors and carries out maintenance on various pieces of equipment including presses and banding machines. And when he’s not studying at college or working at Holcim, Ahmed serves as an army reservist with the Royal Engineers.

Army life

“I joined the reserves when I turned 18 after completing five years in the cadets,” Ahmed said. “I took a gap year after my A-levels and used the time to focus on the reserves as it’s always been something I’m really passionate about and wanted to pursue after the cadets.

“I applied to the apprenticeship with Holcim because the organisation was signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant, which was really important to me since it meant I could continue my work in the reserves alongside my studies. I’m entitled to 27 days annually from each tax year to undertake my commitment to the reserves, but I usually do more than that because I really enjoy it. Holcim also offers me two weeks of extra annual leave so that I can complete the required courses for the reserves.”

The skills Ahmed has picked up during his time in the army has made for a fairly seamless transition to working responsibilities on site.

“There’s quite a bit of crossover between my role as a royal engineer and the work I do at Holcim,” Ahmed said. “In the reserves, I get to work on bridge building, demolitions and mine clearing as well as infantry-based tasks. The multiple tools we use and the principles we apply to tasks has prepared me well for the job I do on site.”

Construction challenges and achievements

As someone who is always eager to learn more and improve, Ahmed has naturally taken on more responsibility within his role at Holcim. He is now working on a stores project to catalogue items in a bid to improve the efficiency of the current system. If successful, it is hoped this project will be rolled out across the entire Hulland Ward site.

While Ahmed has benefited from the transferable skills he continues to learn as a reservist, working on site has also presented its own set of hurdles.

Ahmed said: “The main thing I’ve had to get used to while working at Holcim is the different presses we use. Working in the concrete products division, we use a three-stage press. This is because we are producing slabs for various uses, from garden patios to roadside kerbs, as well as concrete for general use. It’s taken me a while to get used to the way each site operates because no two are the same, but I like learning and I love developing my knowledge.”

Throughout his time in the army, comradeship has been a huge part of Ahmed’s professional and personal development. And this supportive environment is something he continues to experience while working at Holcim.

“I’ve had support from a lot of people throughout my journey at Holcim,” Ahmed said. “My manager, Mark Chamberlain, is constantly pushing me to improve and is always teaching me new things. It’s also fantastic being able to shadow the qualified and experienced engineers on site because I learn so much from them. There’s just a supportive culture on site for everybody, but especially aimed at those like me who are new to their careers.”

Future thinking

As a young person entering a traditionally carbon-intensive industry, Ahmed has witnessed first-hand the steps Holcim is taking to make processes more sustainable.

Ahmed said: “From the power station by-product PFA (Pulverised Fly Ash) – used to colour the cement – to brainstorming ideas about how to further recycle old units on site, I believe imagination and experimentation will be key to reaching net zero in the industry.”

Looking to the future, Ahmed wants to complete a degree to nurture his skills as an engineer and then pursue a management route at Holcim – inspired by his manager, Mark. He’s dedicated to understanding the different cogs that make up the construction industry and learning from the people he works alongside.

“We’re assessed on knowledge, behaviour and skills throughout the apprenticeship, and I definitely think the behaviour aspect makes you become a better person,” Ahmed said. “Mark became a manager through the managerial route rather than through the engineering route, so I’ve been able to learn skills from him that I may not have done otherwise. He’s taught me so much about dealing with difficult situations and has helped me to improve my people skills.”

And as if that wasn’t enough, when he’s not on site or in the reserves, Ahmed is a keen Arsenal supporter and amateur photographer.

Ahmed said: “Photography brings me joy; it’s therapeutic to me and helps me calm down. I take photos of literally anything. I enjoy it all, from portraits to sports and wildlife.”

The common thread through all of Ahmed’s ventures is an enthusiasm and a willingness to try new things – critical qualities in an industry where standing still isn’t an option.