Insider view: Stuart Gillespie of Mactaggart & Mickel

Job title Senior site manager with family-owned housebuilders Mactaggart & Mickel. I’ve been with them since leaving school more than 30 years ago. The company will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2025.
Stuart GillespieStuart Gillespie
Stuart Gillespie

How did you get started? Like most 16-year-olds, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. I knew I’d rather work outside rather than in an office, and I fancied working as part of a team, and so life on a building site appealed.

I began as an apprentice joiner with Mactaggart & Mickel 31 years ago, on a YTS (Youth Training Scheme), and I’ve worked my way up from there.

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Nowadays, you’re eased into working gradually and you’ve got mentors to keep an eye on you, but in the early-’90s, it was usually a case of just being told to get on with it alongside a couple of experienced tradesmen.

I enjoyed the camaraderie and the bond you create on a building site, and I’m grateful for the way they showed me the ropes.

It’s fair to say that it was quite a baptism of fire, but I got to grips with things quickly.

How steep was the learning curve? It was hard work and I learned quickly, but there were lots of little good-natured tricks as well to keep you on your toes. I was told to get “a left-handed screwdriver”, or “a tin of tartan paint”.

And there was the old classic – being told to “go for a long stand” by the site supervisor.

I must have stood there for an hour until I was asked: “Has that stand been long enough, yet?”

Have things changed for the better? The building world can be quite daunting for young people, but now our new starters don’t have to worry about practical jokes.

Mactaggart & Mickel has head office support that makes sure they learn the ropes in a sensible and progressive manner.

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It’s taken very seriously to make sure the young people are getting everything they need to develop their trade, and aren’t just being treated as cheap labour.

How has your career progressed?

The company certainly helped. After my apprenticeship, I wanted to go into management and Mactaggart & Mickel supported me, paying for me to go to night school to study for four years.

I wanted new challenges, and I couldn’t see myself crawling about on roofs for the rest of my working life. That can be hard going, especially when it’s winter and minus four or five degrees, and your fingers feel frozen.

I wanted to better myself and I was sure management played to my strengths.

What does a typical day look like? No two days are the same, but [currently] I’ll always get to the office at our Greenan Views development, in Doonfoot, before 7.30am. It’s uplifting because it’s such a nice part of the world, next to the Ayrshire coast. My first task will be procedural, to get everyone signed in and then I start planning in earnest for the day, making sure everyone’s got what they need for their tasks, and I’ll also take care of ordering materials.

Then I’ll check that things are getting done correctly.

We have strict procedures in place to make sure that everything is spot-on. This also involves a final check by a director to ensure the work meets the highest standards.

How has Covid affected day-to-day activities? We’re following all the protocols very carefully to keep the workplace safe, with daily temperature checks and face masks at all times.

Aside from the nuts and bolts of the construction process, I’m responsible for safe operations as one of the site’s several Covid marshals.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced?

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They haven’t come much bigger than the recent lack of supply of materials as a result of Brexit and the pandemic – it’s been a bit of a nightmare.

There have been shortages of cement, plasterboard, glass, window frames and components. It’s been a constant battle over the last 18 months.

The challenges have been coming thick and fast, but I’m proud to say that we’ve overcome them.

Our industry came back quite quickly after the first lockdown. Thankfully, because we work outdoors, we were one of the first cohorts to get back to work.

Would you encourage young people to consider a career in the building industry? There’s never been a better time. We need new talent to come through the ranks and young people can really make their mark and climb the career ladder.

There’s a concern right across the industry that there doesn’t seem to be enough young people coming into the building trade.

The workforce is getting older, on average, and while experience is a good thing, you wonder who will do these vital jobs in the future to meet the growing demand for new homes across Scotland.

I might be a wee bit biased, but I’d certainly encourage young people to look at a career in the building world.

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It’s very rewarding seeing homes rise from nothing – and the money’s good as well. There are great opportunities and a lot to be said about working outside in a team, and working on homes that you can be proud of.

I wouldn’t change my career for the world.

What advice would you offer those who want to become a site manager?

The key thing is to take pride and really care about wanting to do things right. As well as organisational skills and attention to detail, you’ve got to lead by example and make sure that every task is done to the best of your ability.

The goal is to ensure clients have a great experience when they move into their new homes.