RISING STARS MEET THE FUTURE
Alexander Michael, packed aggregate and macadam site supervisor at Tarmac, tells BMJ how he entered the industry.
What is your current role?
I’m a Packed Aggregate and Macadam Site Supervisor.
How did you get into this industry? After graduating with a business and management degree, I studied construction at college to learn basic builders’ merchant skills such as plumbing, plastering, and bricklaying. However, the COVID pandemic hit nine months into my studies, and I didn’t want to wait for the college to reopen. I decided to go and search for jobs and I came across the Tarmac graduate programme. Applying to this programme was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made. I was drawn to packed products and my route took me through the whole process, from logistics to technical, to commercial and then finally into operations. In effect, this brought my journey full circle with my initial interest in packaging.
What does a typical day for you at work look like?
I arrive on site and conduct a team briefing where I communicate production targets and get feedback from my team. I’m mostly working directly with the team throughout the day to make sure things are running smoothly on the factory floor. There are a lot of different systems to understand, so having good digital comprehension is crucial to doing my tasks.
What are your big challenges in this role? There’s always the balancing act of remaining present on the factory floor whilst fulfilling my administrative responsibilities. Being able to multitask these aspects of my job becomes easier with time and experience.
What do you think has been your biggest achievement in your role?
Coming through the graduate scheme and being given this supervising role from Tarmac. A lot of trust has been put in me and I’m determined to deliver for my team and the company.
What would you like to achieve next? An invaluable experience I had while on the Tarmac graduate programme was being part of a team that developed a commercial strategy for our specialist products. It was challenging but rewarding to come
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out of a six-month long development period with a five-year strategy. I would like to do something similar within the next few years in my department.
What advice would you give to someone new to this industry?
Go for it. Construction materials encompass so much of our lives: the roads we drive on, the pavements we walk on, the houses we live in. If you are looking for an industry that is continually looking ahead, this is the one for you.
What would you say to someone who might be thinking about a career or getting a job in the industry? A lot of different components need to come together to get the products on the shelf and to provide an engaging experience for consumers. Never underestimate that collaborative work as it’s the backbone of everything.
Why do you think young people and women are hesitant to go into the industry?
There are some preconceived notions about the industry, but I can only stress that everyone is welcome and there’s more variety
“Construction
materials encompass so much of our lives: the roads we drive on, the pavements we walk on, the houses we live in. If you are looking for an industry that is continually looking ahead, this is the one for you.“
and diversity than you might at first think. My graduate cohort had a 50/50 split between men and women, which is a testament to the progress that is being made. In construction, there’s a role to suit every skill set. BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net November 2024
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