To kickstart Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2025, we had the pleasure of joining Jackie Baillie MSP on a visit to Drumfork Nursery & Family Centre in Helensburgh. The visit was a fantastic opportunity to witness the impact of apprenticeships in early years education and to celebrate the commitment of those shaping the future of childcare.
Drumfork Nursery & Family Centre provides a nurturing environment for children from birth to five years, with free-flowing indoor and outdoor spaces designed to support their development through play and exploration.
We are currently working with seven Modern Apprentices at Drumfork Nursery & Family Centre who, supporting them through both level 3 and level 4 qualifications. All of these Modern Apprentices are support by our Early Years Assessor, Lynsey.
"Tigers Early Years Academy have been in partnership with Drumfork Nursery and Family Centre for a year and a half. We currently have seven candidates undertaking their SSCYP Level 3 within Drumfork. Throughout our partnership we have found Drumfork to be extremely welcoming with values that align with Tigers, you can feel the warmth and love as you walk into their purpose-built calm and tranquil establishment. Working alongside Drumfork we take on a joint approach to ensure candidates flourish and grow in their own unique way throughout their qualification to become compassionate and confident practitioners. It’s a pleasure to be part of Drumfork through working as their assessor and I am grateful for the strong connections Tigers have built there!”
Lynsey Beaton, Early Years Assessor
Beyond their commitment to high-quality childcare and training, Drumfork is also a proud supporter of the Armed Forces Covenant. Recognising the contributions of serving personnel, veterans, reservists, and military families, the nursery goes above and beyond in its support, earning the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award. This reflects their dedication to ensuring no member of the Armed Forces community faces disadvantage.
Jackie Baillie MSP, a strong advocate for skills development and apprenticeships, engaged with staff and apprentices during the visit, reaffirming the importance of investing in people. Jackie also spent time chatting with the children as we passed through the different rooms, taking a genuine interest in their play and what they had to say.
Scottish Apprenticeship Week highlights the benefits of apprenticeships for individuals, businesses, and communities, and at Drumfork, this impact is clear to see. We look forward to continuing our work with the team at Drumfork Nursery & Family Centre and supporting them to create the best environment for their children to learn and grow.