Name: Steven Campbell
Job title: Director, Campbell West
What I do: I run a successful mechanical and electrical company within the construction industry
Why I got into the industry: I got into the industry after school as I didn’t see a career path I liked via university. I had always been very hands-on and felt that a trade was my best option.
How I did it: I made sure that I passed my GCSEs. I had a job lined up from building a relationship with a director of a company prior to applying.
My first proper job: My first job was when I was 14, I worked on a market stall selling pool cues and accessories. I fell into this job due to playing for England at pool and one of the other players started this business.
My first big break: It was walking into my apprenticeship when there were nine applicants for two positions. I knew the director of the company so it was a formality for me to get the job which was a fortunate position to be in because at the time back apprenticeships were extremely hard to secure and this is why the National Apprenticeship Week awareness campaign is close to my heart.
My inspiration(s): Hard question, but when I look back, I now know that my dad was working two jobs to make sure his family had everything that we needed. So I guess I always watched him working hard and gained that mentality.
The biggest challenge I’ve encountered to date: The biggest challenge I’ve faced to date has been the transition from being an apprentice plumber to business owner (with my Campbell West co-founder and director Daniel West).
My greatest achievement/proudest moment to date: The greatest achievement/proudest moment was securing our first million-pound project and successfully delivering it and it’s been great to see the company go from strength to strength and now has a £10m turnover, 45-strong payroll and huge growth potential.
The biggest misconception people have about the industry: That anyone can pick up a set of tools and do the job. This isn’t the case because I now know it takes years and years of experience to be able to work within the industry.
My biggest bugbear about the industry/the one thing I would change about the industry: Retention. I would have the retention held in a separate account so that it can’t be used as additional profit margin for the contractors (some of them try not to pay this).
Why I’m so passionate about DE&I: I feel passionate about DE&I because I feel that everyone should be included. This empowers people to voice their opinions with fresh ideas which makes people more comfortable within the team.
Where I’d like to be in five years’ time career-wise: I would be where I am today, hopefully with a bigger team and business.
Who I’d invite, living or dead, to a dinner party: Ricky Gervais, Donald Trump, Brooks Koepka
What I do in my downtime: I enjoy sports and play badminton, football and golf once a week. The rest of the time is spent with the family.
The job I’d be doing if I was not doing this: I think I would have become a PE teacher or a coach of something.
My advice for someone just starting out: Knuckle down, learn from your peers and always have a positive attitude.
My motto/mantra: Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.
National Apprenticeship Week took place between 5 to 11 February 2024. To find out more about the initiative visit the government’s apprenticeships website.
