Mathew Iremonger is a Senior Laboratory Technician here at Winstone Aggregates, he shares with us how he first came into the role, what a day at work can look like, and what he has learnt throughout his time at Winstone.

I stumbled into this career when I was looking for a change. I heard from a good friend that the company they worked for, Winstone Aggregates, was looking for a Junior Laboratory Technician to work over a three-month contract. Fast forward to today, now seven years later, I’m still here and have worked my way up to IANZ Signatory Senior Laboratory Technician.

My days are predominantly spent in the office taking care of test reports, providing technical support to our technicians, and liaising with customers. However, this can vary day-to-day. Sometimes I will spend my time in the lab or out on-site testing soils, aggregates or concrete, as well as providing results on particle size, strength or density.

One of the key skills I have learned while in this role is gaining a strong understanding of materials used in the construction industry, and how they react to different conditions. I’ve also developed good problem solving and communication skills as I deal directly with customers.

My favourite part about this position would be the roading projects that I get to work on. I consider myself pretty lucky to get to see all aspects of a project move from start to finish.

If you’re thinking of starting a career as a Senior Laboratory Technician, I say it’s a great choice! You don’t need a degree to get into the Civil Laboratory and you’ll get great insight into the process of building roads, bridges and other structures key to our country’s daily movements.

Although I’ve been here for a few years I’m still loving my job. There are many opportunities to grow and challenges in the work that we do.