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Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2025
Scottish Apprenticeship Week is a big deal here at tigers. We’re always excited to hear from candidates about their apprenticeships. We want to know what they learned and how they’ve grown as people, both personally and professionally.
During the week, we caught up with both Foundation and Modern Apprenticeships on their experiences, we had a look behind the scenes and made sure to have fun throughout the week.
Our content from the week
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.
To read this blog in full, please visit: Drumfork Nursery & Family Centre visit with Jackie Baillie MSP
Caitlyn shared her journey of completing a Level 4 (SCQF Level 9) Modern Apprenticeship in Early Years at Lullaby Lane Nurseries and how this has prepared her for her next steps into leadership!
We spoke to Jayden, Curtis & Lillie who showcase the benefits of the apprenticeship family, having completed Foundation Apprenticeships while at school, they are looking ahead with ambitions to undertake Modern Apprenticeships!
Having studied to become an Art Teacher, Katie struggled to find permanent work and looked towards Early Years. Now completing a Modern Apprenticeship at Lullaby Lane Nurseries, Katie is loving life in Early Years and we were delighted to be able to share her story!
Sophie first joined tigers as a Foundation Apprentice while at school, before completing an Early Years Modern Apprenticeship at Lullaby Lane Nurseries and is now back at tigers group as a Digital Marketing Apprentice!
Chloe has found her way into Construction through joining the team at tigers as an apprentice trainer! Working with the experienced team at our Construction Academy, Chloe is ready to inspire more young women into the industry!
We also went behind the scenes at our Construction Academy, with a day in the life, finding out what a day looks like completing a Modern Apprenticeship with tigers!
@tigersgroup_ 🦺 Spend a day with us at our Construction Academy and find out more about what a #ModernApprenticeship with tigers entails! #ScotAppWeek25 #MadeForBusiness #InspiringPotential ♬ original sound - tigers
We had some fun, inviting all our apprentices to take park in the sunglasses trend, Scottish Apprenticeship Week edition 😎
@tigersgroup_ 😎 Sunglasses trend Scottish Apprenticeship Week edition 🕶 #scotappweek25 #madeforbusiness #inspiringpotential #sunglassestrend #sunglasses #fyp #youngpeople ♬ original sound - 𝓆𝒾𝓁 - 𝔮𝔦𝔩
Paradigm Landscapes shared a thought-provoking blog on how they support the next generation, celebrating the opportunities that apprenticeships create for young people and businesses across Scotland!
Read this blog in full: Scottish Apprenticeship Week: How Paradigm Landscapes Supports the Next Generation
We were also proud to share a new blog, on what has been A Year of Exceptional Achievement in Qualification Delivery, which included highlighted starting Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2025 with over 500 live candidates, all progressing through various qualifications. Along with having successfully certificated over 1000 candidates over the past year.
Read this blog in full: A Year of Exceptional Achievement in Qualification Delivery
We’re already looking forward to Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2026, see you there!
A Year of Exceptional Achievement in Qualification Delivery
At Tigers, we are dedicated to empowering individuals through high-quality training and apprenticeships, and this past contract year has been a testament to our commitment. We are proud to share that, according to a recent Systems Verification conducted by SQA, Tigers has demonstrated exceptional success in apprenticeship delivery.
500+ Live Candidates & 1000+ Certifications
One of the standout findings from the verification was the incredible volume of candidates actively engaged with Tigers. We start Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2025 with over 500 live candidates, all progressing through various qualifications. We have also successfully certificated over 1000 candidates over the past year—a number that will continue to rise as more candidates complete their qualifications.
Our Partners
Spark of Genius – with 91 candidates registered since our partnership began in 2022, our work with Spark of Genius has seen them become our largest partner in our Social Services Children and Young People (SSCYP) delivery. Covering both Level 3 and 4 Modern Apprenticeship we are delighted to be working so closely to help them achieve their goals of offering individualised pathways to empower and enable children and young people.
Morgan Sindall Construction – Since launching this Joint Venture (JV) in 2021 we have registered 89 young people on the Level 5 Construction Civil Engineering Operations Modern Apprenticeship. This partnership helps to address the UK wide skills gap in the Construction sector. Influenced by our Relationship Led Practice model our JV is a seismic shift in the approach to training for the construction sector, addressing emotional health, suicide and gender imbalance, as well as general skills gaps and an ageing workforce.
"Spark of Genius started working with Tigers to facilitate and support the development of our workforce, primarily through the provision of the Modern apprenticeships in August 2022. Since this time, a number of our practitioners have gained their qualifications, equipping them with knowledge, skills and expertise in residential childcare and met their SSSC registration requirements. This has all been made possible through the support, organisational arrangements and excellent communication from Yvonne and Lynsey at Tigers.”
Mags Solomon, QA & Safeguarding Manager and Shirley Cairney, Head of Children's Services, Spark of Genius
Commitment to Relationship-Led Practice
At Tigers, we firmly believe in the power of relationships to foster meaningful learning experiences. Our apprenticeship delivery is entirely face-to-face and in person, ensuring that each candidate benefits from real-time support and direct engagement with our assessors. This approach reflects our commitment to Relationship-Led Practice, where meaningful connections between trainers and learners enhance skills development, confidence, and long-term success.
By prioritising in-person engagement, we create a learning environment that is collaborative, supportive, and responsive to the individual needs of each apprentice.
Exceptional Recognition from SQA
Kelly, our external verifier from SQA, described this achievement as “exceptional for a national training provider and rare, with a wide span of delivery.” This feedback is a true credit to the dedication and hard work of the entire Tigers team, including our administration training and assessing teams.
Unlike other external visits that focus on industry-specific qualifications, SQA Systems Verification evaluates the entire approach to process, procedures, and accreditation within a training centre. This recognition highlights not only our ability to deliver at scale but also the quality and consistency of our training across multiple sectors.
Continuous Growth & Future Aspirations
While we celebrate this achievement, we are also using this feedback as an opportunity for growth. The verification process has provided us with valuable insights into how we can refine our documentation and practices to further strengthen our already robust delivery model. As we step into the 2025-26 contract year, we remain committed to continuous improvement and ensuring that Tigers remains at the forefront of training excellence.
Inspiring potential since 2001.
Drumfork Nursery & Family Centre visit with Jackie Baillie MSP
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.
Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2024
Scottish Apprenticeship Week is always a highlight of the calendar here at tigers. We love to hear from candidates on their experiences during their apprenticeships, not only to hear about what they learned but also on how they’ve grown as an individual.
During the week we spoke to a range of Apprenticeships candidates, across Foundation and Modern Apprenticeships.
Aaron, Callum & Jack all completed Modern Apprenticeships as part of tigers Joint Venture with Morgan Sindall Construction and since completed their qualifications are now employed by Dalcon Civil Engineering working across Scotland!
Amyleigh & Harry first joined tigers when they undertook Foundation Apprenticeships while still at school. Since then they have both taken the next step and moved on to Modern Apprenticeships with Primrose City Nursery!
We also caught up with G4 Claims who have been upskilling their staff through SVQ’s in Management
Ewan found his opportunity with Paradigm Landscapes through tigers Joint Venture with Morgan Sindall Construction, he’s since completed his Modern Apprenticeship & joined Paradigm Landscapes as a Junior Landscaper!
We rounded off the week with Hollie sharing her story. After completing her Level 3 Hollie has taken the step up to Team Leader at Lullaby Lane, becoming a role model & inspiring the team around her as she now works towards her Level 4!
Scottish Apprenticeship Week also gave us an opportunity to again hear from our Schools partners, sharing the voices of teachers and pupils from Glasgow and West on the impact Foundation Apprenticeships have had in their schools.
You can find all of these videos over on our YouTube!
We’re already looking forward to Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2025!
Clare's journey back to the workplace
I found out from a family friend about a new programme starting called the Women Returners. This programme was developed to help mothers with young children return to the workplace. As I had not worked since my daughter and son were born, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for me to gain some new skills which might help me to secure future employment.
When researching the programme, I found out that a local training company called tigers were delivering the courses in my area. I went onto to tigers website and saw that they delivered lots of different training programmes and had excellent testimonials from a wide variety of people. This gave me the confidence to apply to join the programme. I was very nervous and unsure of myself to begin with but the guy running the course put me at ease straight away. I found attending the course not only helped to build my confidence, I also gave me practical Microsoft Office experience. As part of the course, we were helped with CV writing, Job Applications and Interview Techniques. This was the kind of support I needed to get back into the workplace, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to return to the workplace.
I was told by the tutor that there was a vacancy for an administrator at Tigers and he thought I should apply. I was very anxious when I was invited for any interview. However, at the interview the panel were all very welcoming and helped to put me at ease. They told me about the company and what the main duties of the job role would be. They also assured me that they were aware that I had small children at nursery and school and where more than happy to be flexible with my working hours.
I was extremely happy to find out the same week of the interview that I had been successful and would be given the opportunity to join the team at Tigers. After a probationary period, I was offered a permanent contract, and was delighted. They also offered me the opportunity to gain a Modern Apprenticeship in Business & Administration Level 3. As I hadn’t studied since college over 10 years previously and had a young family, I was really worried about not being able to complete a qualification. However, they assured me that it was a work-based qualification and I would not be expected to do work at home. I meet with my assessor who explained all about the qualification and how my work duties would be part of the evidence needed for each unit. She also explained that she would visit me at work on a regular basis to observe me working and go over each unit and what was involved it gaining the evidence. I found this to be a really rewarding experience and it really helped me to understand my job better. Going through the individual units with my assessor gave me the confidence in my own ability and also gave me excellent new skills, which I could bring to my job.
I am really thankful to Tigers for giving me the opportunity to develop and grow new skills with excellent qualification which will help me to have a future career.
Clare Johnstone
Trainee Co-Ordinator
Third Lullaby Lane Nursery opens at Hogganfield Loch!
We first opened our doors at Lullaby Lane Westerton in October 2013, later Lullaby Lane Milngavie in 2017.
We opened with a simple ethos, to treat each child like they were our own, offering them love, compassion and a home from home.
We wanted our families to feel proud about the choice that they made for the care of their children. We wanted them to part from their children with the confidence and knowledge that they were leaving them in the care of people who were emotionally available and who would take their unique, precious child into their hearts.
We wanted to offer comfort and safety by providing cuddles and close connection.
On the 5th February we opened our doors to our 3rd nursery, Lullaby Lane Hogganfield at Golf It!. We will have the joy of welcoming more children and families who will experience our #AttachmentLedPractice and our emotionally attuned #FamilyCare. It truly is a privilege to be asked to care for someone’s child.
Our new venture is the collective achievement of our Lullaby team, present and past, supported by many of our teams across the Tigers Group. Our Hogganfield team stand on the shoulders of all their colleagues. This has been a true team effort to get to this stage.
We wish to thank Laura Devennie, Donna Adams, Christopher Keane, and Tracey Nimmo, none of this would have happened without their exceptional work and their immense courage. And to our friends and colleagues Jenny Brown, Russell Smith, The R&A, VS+YO, & Iain Smith for being visionary thinkers.
We must finish by thanking the person who has been part of this development from the very beginning, and who has been integral to all operations every step of the way, Brian Carmichael. As so accurately said by Jenny recently, “Brian is great, he makes things happen”. Thank you to our dear friend.
Welcome to Lullaby Lane Hogganfield. We cannot wait to see what adventures await our whole community 🎉🙏
Pauline and Ian Scott ❤️
Tigers School Partnerships
At tigers we are delighted to be working with over 20 schools across Glasgow and the West of Scotland delivering various Foundation Apprenticeships; these vocational qualifications are the equivalent to traditional highers in Scottish Schools.
This academic year we’ve proud to have welcomed 324 new Foundation Apprentices from six different Local Authority areas into our learning environments.
Our three learning academies are active in the schools delivering the following:
Our Business Skills Academy are delivering a Foundation Apprenticeship in Business Skills,
Our Early Years Academy are delivering a Foundation Apprenticeship in Social Services Children and Young People (SSCYP),
Our Construction Academy are delivering a Foundation Apprenticeships in Construction Craft and Civil Engineering.
In recent weeks we have been sharing across our social media platforms some of the wonderful feedback from staff and pupils in our partner schools, we are humbled by their enthusiasm and generosity of commentary.
I think its good to actually be out and learning something that I want to do when I’m out of school. It’s better, it just feels like you’re just having fun.
Ashton Adamson, Bannerman High
Sam and Craig have just been amazing with the guys, they build relationships with pupils that struggle maybe to build relationships with the teachers across the school. They just get so much out of them, and the pupils get so much out of the course as well.
Lesley Mulholland, Principal Teacher of Employability, Bannerman High
It’s very engaging, I like how the teachers engages with the class. Demonstrations, activities basically, I like that about it. I think that’s better for learning, he’s talking all the time so you’re more likely to take it in. He cracks jokes while he’s at it, so people don’t get bored, and they don’t zone out. People are always in the zone when he’s there because makes it enjoyable.
Adam Cuthbertson, Trinity High
We understand that there is a need within our local context and nationally for a broader curriculum that offers more vocational based courses to meet the needs of all of our young people.
Dr. Ruth McGuire, PT Pastoral Care, Trinity High
If you’re interested in hearing more from all the schools we are working with and have visited to date you can head to our YouTube channel where each week we feature a new school, sharing positive stories of Vocational Education.
To follow us on social media you can here:
For the Love of Reading, Early Years and Beyond
By Early Years Assessor, Lynsey Beaton.
Whether you are 6 months old and curious about the world around you or an adult managing the ups and downs of life, a book can offer you comfort, connection, closeness, and a sense of escapism. As we navigate our way through life the simple joy that books can bring is something that we must hold on to in this fast world full of technology. Some of my earliest memories are getting tucked into bed and asking for “one more story” before drifting off to sleep. I know this isn’t always the same for all children, I know I was fortunate to have that connection.
When I was an early years practitioner I cherished story time, observing excited faces as they turned the next page and predicted what was going to happen next, cosied in with blankets and love in our story areas. It was a time for connection and physical proximity.
The recent expansion of Early Learning and Childcare across Scotland is an opportunity for professional practitioners to use the power of stories and story time to build trusting relationships with their children. We can consider both the physical and emotional environment and co-create cosy, soft and safe places to snuggle up with books. We can support our children to design their own stories and ignite that lifelong love for reading. When children feel safe, loved, supported, and regulated in their environment we can carefully interact and observe playful interactions, the place where communication and language start to thrive.
As we celebrate Book Week Scotland at Tigers, we are delighted to host the Scottish Book Launch of “My Family, Your Family” written by Laura Henry-Allain MBE, Laura explains her book “aims to share that all children and their families matter and how important it is for every child to see that there are diverse types of family that are different from their own. I have included, as an example, blended families, children who may have had a parent who has died, children who have parents who are the same sex/gender, and children who are adopted or fostered. It was important to use the correct terminology, such as surrogacy, kinship, and donor; these terms are the reality for some children and mirror their families.”
It is so important that children can see themselves within a variety of books, understanding and celebrating their differences, along with a sense of belonging. We look forward to an engaging afternoon of shared family stories and connection, where the adults in children’s life’s can take back Laura’s books and share them within their settings.
Reading is for adults too. Books can create a sense of belonging and relief as we can see parts of our own lives within the stories that we are reading. A book can stoke our imagination. You don’t just hold a book in your hands, you hold it in your mind, giving yourself permission to dream, to go on an adventure, to escape your everyday life, to feel connected, and to build empathy and compassion for others.
Reading really is a lifelong joy! Think about taking time to unplug the devices and pick that book up, you never know where it will take you…
Lullaby Lane Nurseries Opens Third Location at Golf It!
We're in partnership with The R&A!
We are thrilled to announce the opening of our third location at the Golf It! complex in Glasgow. This exciting expansion comes in partnership with The R&A, the esteemed governing organisation of golf. The new nursery will open on 5th February 2024 and will provide childcare for children from aged two until primary school age.
With the opening of our third nursery, Lullaby Lane aims to extend its Attachment-Led ethos, prioritising the emotional needs of our children, to meet the growing demand for early learning and childcare facilities in Glasgow.
Pauline Scott, our owner and Managing Director expressed her enthusiasm for the new venture, stating, “We are absolutely delighted to open our third nursery at the Golf It! complex in Glasgow, in collaboration with The R&A. This partnership allows us to provide a high-quality care service to families, while being a part of a thriving, community-driven sports hub. This partnership has been values aligned from the beginning. We share the vision of creating community spaces where children can develop their individual talents and self-belief, in fun, playful, and experiential environments.”
Pauline added, “We believe in providing emotionally attuned, uniquely responsive, and loving relationships that support the healthy biological development of our children. We know that children’s learning, exploration, and creativity is optimised when they are in the presence of emotionally regulated and developmentally informed adults. We believe in the adage ‘start with the adults present in the lives of children’ and we will be sharing our ethos and practice with our families by offering them our unique ‘Daring Ventures’ programme in partnership with renowned developmental psychologist, Dr Suzanne Zeedyk. We look forward to welcoming families to visit our nursery throughout December and January, and to officially welcoming our first families in February.”
We are delighted to announce that Christopher Keane, our current Deputy Manager at Lullaby Lane Nursery Milngavie will become the new nursery manager.
Chris commented, “I am honoured to be part of the Lullaby Lane Nurseries team and excited to lead our new nursery at Golf It! We are dedicated to partnering with our families to ensure each child receives the individual care they deserve. Our Attachment-Led Practice aims to support our children’s emotional safety by creating a home from home environment where we put the emotional well-being of the child at the core of all our practice and policies. An example of this is that at Lullaby Lane we offer our families free and unlimited settling in (building a relationship) sessions that are child-led. We also encourage home visits so that the child’s care practitioner can spend time with our children in their own environment. This helps to develop secure and trusting relationships before it is time for families to separate from their children.
As the manager, it is my responsibility to care for the adults who are caring for the children. I believe in prioritising the emotional wellness of our team and providing them with learning opportunities that build their confidence and knowledge in the science of Attachment Theory, early brain development, play and learning.”
Families interested in applying for a place at Lullaby Lane Nurseries can visit the company’s website at www.lullabylanenurseries.com or contact the nursery directly to schedule a visit on hogganfield@lullabylanenursery.co.uk.
324 New Foundation Apprentices join tigers
Our new academic year has started with real purpose across our three thriving learning academies.
We are proud to have welcomed 324 new Foundation Apprentices from 6 different Local Authority areas into our learning environments since the beginning of September 2023.
In the words of our Group Managing Director, Pauline Scott, “At tigers we understand that significant learning and development only happens in the presence of secure, positive relationships.”
“Creating environments, alongside our values aligned partners, that support that understanding, we believe is a key driver in the success of our Foundation Apprenticeship delivery,” said Alex Wright our Business Skills Academy Manager.
The pupils drawn from 20 schools across the West of Scotland will undertake a range of Foundation Apprenticeships in the following industry sectors ;
- Construction
- Business Skills
- Early Years
Tigers Foundation Apprenticeships’ offer pupils the opportunity to move out of the traditional classroom and learn through vocational education in tandem with our ethos of relationship led practice.
At tigers we believe that a vocational education is a first class education and in the coming weeks we will be sharing further commentary from our partners and apprentices, who have experienced our Foundation Apprenticeship delivery in the previous academic year, who echo that sentiment.
You can follow that commentary and share your own experiences both here and on our social media channels.
For the next eight weeks we will share more content from our schools partners, across our socials at 8am each Friday morning, starting next week 27th October when you will hear from Bannerman High School in Glasgow about their tigers experience in 2022/23.