Ayrshire-based builder of affordable homes McTaggart Construction set to hire up to 70 additional staff in 2024

Major boost for sector with key role in the economy.

McTaggart Construction is seeking up to 40 white-collar roles and up to 30 tradespeople and labourers. Picture: contributed.

A construction group based in Dalry, Ayrshire, has announced that it is embarking on a major hiring spree across large parts of Scotland – adding up to 70 staff altogether – to meet growing demand in 2024, and marking a major boost for the sector.

McTaggart Construction, which specialises in building affordable homes, is seeking up to 40 white-collar roles and up to 30 tradespeople and labourers. The positions range from admin support to site-managers as well as commercial staff including surveyors and estimators. The recruitment is for sites in East Lothian, Dundee, Dumfries & Galloway, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, East Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, Falkirk, and Stirlingshire.

The planned recruitment drive comes after the news earlier this week that more than 200 staff at major Scottish housebuilder Stewart Milne had been laid off after it went into administration, causing shockwaves among industry observers.

McTaggart labourer Conor Pruden said he joined the firm on a Kickstarter placement. “Knowing I’ve got a stable job with lots of sites coming up locally has made a big difference to me personally,” he added. “It’s given me that reliability of work, more financial freedom and I don’t need to worry about my bills or what I’m earning week to week. I’ve even been able to afford a new car to get me to and from work.”

Site manager Allan Russell said: “I was fortunate to get a four-year apprenticeship in plastering/tiling and then work on some of McTaggart’s flagship developments. The company put a great level of trust in me at such a young age, which gave me the confidence and belief to go forward and become the tradesman that I am. I’ve been here 17 years now… Playing a small part in positively helping communities and bringing young people into construction has been so rewarding.”

MD Janice Russell has welcomed the firm providing “fantastic employment opportunities, from apprenticeships to managerial positions”. She added: “This is largely due to increased workload and excellent relationships with clients, but importantly we have been seen a lot of internal career progression, resulting in backfill vacancies where we have promoted in the last 24 months. The current recruitment drive is in addition to our supply-chain or group companies (Tod and ABN) where there will also be further growth.

“Building more high-quality homes offers abundant opportunities for partnerships, workforce development, and a sustainable supply chain. We aim to make a lasting, positive impact on communities, individuals and the environment.”

Separately, housebuilder Persimmon that has a large presence in Scotland said it sold a third fewer homes last year amid high interest rates, but surpassed its own expectations as demand picked up towards the end of 2023. Dean Finch, chief executive of the York-based builder, said it "performed well in challenging market conditions", with sales rates "relatively robust" over the year. Nevertheless, the company said it expects conditions in the property market to remain "highly uncertain" during 2024, particularly for first-time buyers and as a general election looms in the UK.