Today we're celebrating a remarkable milestone for Linzi Robertson, who has now supported 100 Modern Apprentices to successful completion during her time with L&G Learning.
Since joining the team in October 2020, Linzi has worked with apprentices across more than 50 employers, supporting candidates through a range of qualification frameworks and helping them develop the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to build successful careers.
While qualifications are the headline achievement, the real story lies behind the certificates.
Some candidates joined their apprenticeship straight from school. Others were returning to learning after years away from education. Some were balancing family commitments, changing careers or rebuilding their confidence. Every learner brought their own experiences, aspirations and challenges.
“Every nursery manager needs a Linzi”
One thing they all had in common was having Linzi beside them throughout their journey.
Paris Forbes “Linzi supported me in any possible way at all times, even being a shoulder to cry on at times! Her patience, experience and ability to form a bond are all vital parts in what led me to be the practitioner I am today.”
How It All Began
When Linzi joined L&G Learning in October 2020, she brought with her a wealth of experience from the early years sector and a passion for supporting others to succeed.
After studying HNC Healthcare and later HNC Early Education and Childcare, Linzi built a successful career working with children and families across a variety of childcare settings. Alongside her practical experience, she achieved the SVQ 4 in Children's Care, Learning and Development and, more recently, a BA Childhood Practice qualification.
Through years of progression within the sector, Linzi developed into a successful Nursery Manager, leading teams and supporting the development of early years practitioners.
In 2020, she made the move from nursery management into training and development. As her experience within the organisation grew, she progressed to supporting Foundation Apprenticeship learners while working towards achieving the Assessors Award.
Since then, Linzi has continued to go from strength to strength. She successfully achieved both her Assessor and Internal Verifier qualifications and has become a key member of the assessment team, supporting candidates across a range of Modern Apprenticeship frameworks whilst also carrying out her Internal Verifier responsibilities.
Six years on, that commitment has resulted in an incredible achievement: 100 Modern Apprentices successfully completing their qualifications.
Kerri Martin “Linzi was the best mentor and honestly has the patience of a saint! She helped me achieve the end goal and that was to complete my SCQF level 7 in children and young people! I was dreading doing it but she made it so enjoyable and encouraged me so much! She is the best at her job!🥰.
What Her Candidates Say
“She believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself”
When we asked learners to share their memories of working with Linzi, a common theme quickly emerged.
We expected people to talk about qualifications, assessments and coursework. Instead, they talked about confidence. They talked about encouragement. And they talked about someone who genuinely cared.
Many candidates described Linzi as someone who believed in them when they doubted themselves, encouraged them through challenges and celebrated every success along the way.
Others spoke about the reassurance she provided during difficult periods, her ability to explain things clearly and her constant encouragement whenever confidence dipped.
To be honest, some of the comments were so complimentary that we briefly considered checking whether candidates thought they were nominating Linzi for an award!
Jessica Macsween “Linzi was an amazing assessor and really built my confidence and the foundation of my practice today! She shown so much support and encouragement that I’ll never forget and continue to give to others as I go on. Linzi was always happy and never made you feel silly for asking a million questions. I always let my co-workers know how lucky they are if they have Linzi as an assessor!”
What stood out most was the consistency of the feedback. Different learners, from different employers and different backgrounds, all shared the same message: Linzi's support helped them achieve more than they thought possible.
And for many candidates, that confidence has continued long after they achieved their qualification.
Samantha Brewer “Linzi was so supportive throughout my apprenticeship. During my training, my mother died so I was in a very vulnerable position yet I knew that Linzi was there supporting me and encouraging and this helped me to continue the apprenticeship when I doubted I could finish it. Linzi wanted people she works with to succeed and she makes this very clear with her words and ideas. As an older apprentice, it was really nice to have a mentor who understands the reality of juggling family life, work and the demands of the apprenticeship. Thank you Linzi.”
Lives Changed Along The Way
Behind every apprenticeship completion is an individual story.
Over the years Linzi has supported school leavers taking their first steps into employment, experienced practitioners looking to progress within the sector and candidates balancing work, study and family life.
For Lora and Jane, their apprenticeship journey represented an opportunity to continue building their professional futures after relocating to Scotland from Ukraine. For Tia and Ritah, their qualifications marked important milestones in careers they had worked hard to develop – Read all about Lora and Jane’s story here.
Then there are learners such as Tia, Billie, Eva, Charlotte & Lucy whose dedication and commitment saw them successfully complete their apprenticeships and continue progressing within early learning and childcare.
Eva Hernan “Linzi was supportive throughout my whole apprenticeship. She was very approachable, showed kindness everyday, was helpful in every situation and explained things with in depth detail which made every assignment understandable. I would highly recommend Linzi and L&G as the best apprenticeship group to learn with.”
Hear from Linzi’s candidate, Lucy Meldrum, as she tells her story during Scottish Apprenticeship Week for the SSSC.
Halima Mohammed “I have grown so much as a person through becoming a qualified practitioner and the opportunities it has opened up for me. I moved to Scotland at 16, with no education due to being homeschooled and becoming a care leaver. Being at university and working towards a high goal I had set for myself was something I never thought I’d be able to achieve. My modern apprenticeship gave me a starting point, and Linzi helped me realise that I was capable of much more than I thought. I’m now studying for a degree in Social Science at university and working in a primary school. My goal is to build a career working with children as an educational psychologist.”
The Employer's Corner
While candidate feedback tells one side of the story, the employers who have worked alongside Linzi over the years provide another perspective on the impact she has made.
Linzi has worked alongside more than 50 employers, supporting candidates across a range of qualification frameworks whilst helping businesses develop skilled, confident and qualified practitioners.
Through every apprenticeship journey, Linzi has become known for understanding the needs of both the learner and the employer, ensuring candidates receive the support they need whilst helping settings maintain the high standards expected within the sector.
One of Linzi's longest-standing employer partnerships is with GF Childcare and Manager Scott. When the organisation first began working with L&G Learning, they had never employed a Modern Apprentice. Since then, every apprentice within the setting has completed their qualification through L&G Learning, with Linzi acting as assessor for each one of them.
Over the years she has supported seven members of the GF Childcare team through their apprenticeship journey.
"Linzi has supported seven of our assistants through their Modern Apprenticeship training. Throughout this time, she has been consistently professional, flexible to the needs of our business and extremely helpful. Her support and guidance have been invaluable, and we have really appreciated her commitment to helping our team develop and achieve their qualifications. Congratulations to Linzi on reaching this fantastic milestone!"
Scott, GF Childcare
At Little Hands Nursery, Manager Lorna McKeown highlighted Linzi's ability to create a successful partnership between employers and learners.
"Linzi is one of the most fabulous assessors we've had the pleasure of working with. She understands the needs of not only the candidate but the nursery too. She works closely with the nursery to ensure the candidate's training needs are being met whilst also being tailored to the individuality of the nursery.
She is kind, approachable and honest in all that she does and it's always a pleasure working with her. Linzi comes with a wealth of personal experience and this helps her understand the role of both the nursery and the candidates.
She is an asset to L&G Learning and anyone who gets the privilege of working with her is lucky."
Lorna McKeown, Manager, Little Hands Nursery
For Elle Wilson, Nursery Manager at Poppins Kindergarten, the impact Linzi has on developing practitioners stands out most.
"I've had the pleasure of working with Linzi for a number of years across various settings, and she truly understands how I work, the high standards I strive for and the expectations I have for my team. She reflects these standards in her own practice, ensuring her candidates feel supported, challenged and encouraged to reach their full potential.
What makes Linzi so special is that she genuinely cares, not just about the qualifications her candidates achieve, but about the practitioners they become along the way. Her knowledge, encouragement and unwavering support are invaluable, and I feel incredibly lucky to have her supporting both my team and me.
Every nursery manager needs a Linzi!"
Elle Wilson, Nursery Manager, Poppins Kindergarten
Jadzia Mooney, Hillfoot Nursery Apprentice
Shona, Manager at Little Me Nursery, highlighted the support Linzi provides not only to apprentices, but to nursery leadership teams too.
"Linzi has always been a great support to our candidates and to us as a management team. She has a lot of knowledge to share and is always very friendly."
Shona, Manager, Little Me Nursery
Another employer who has seen Linzi's impact first-hand is Annie McNamee, Nursery Manager at Polkemmet Day Care Nursery.
"Linzi has been a great support for candidates in my setting over the past few years. Linzi is very easy to communicate with and is in regular contact with myself as manager, offering support where required.
Linzi has a high level of professionalism and offers extensive knowledge to our early years setting. Linzi has successfully supported 2 of our apprentices through their qualification, tailoring her support to each individual's needs and learning styles.
Thank you for all of your support Linzi, and congratulations on your achievement!"
Annie McNamee, Nursery Manager, Polkemmet Day Care Nursery
Supporting apprentices successfully requires more than knowledge of qualifications. It requires commitment, consistency and a genuine investment in people. Those qualities were highlighted by Chris McConnell, Manager of FossoPLAY Outdoor Nursery.
"Linzi, congratulations on reaching such a milestone! I know every one of those candidates will have received the very best experience throughout their training journey and the whole of early years benefits from your time, care and commitment.
Personally, it is always a pleasure to work with such a professional and dedicated assessor and I am extremely appreciative of everything you have done to support our team through your work. Here's to the next 100!"
Chris McConnell, FossoPLAY Outdoor Nursery Manager
Across all of the employer feedback, one thing is strikingly consistent. Employers value Linzi's professionalism, trust her judgement, appreciate her knowledge and recognise her commitment to helping learners succeed.
More importantly, they appreciate the positive relationships she builds with both candidates and management teams. Many employers have worked with Linzi for years, returning again and again as new apprentices begin their journey.
When employers continue to place that level of trust in an assessor, it says everything about the quality of support being provided.
One Hundred Success Stories. Countless Lives Changed
The headline statistic is certainly impressive.
100 apprenticeship completions.
But perhaps the more impressive figure is impossible to calculate.
· How do you measure confidence gained?
· How do you count opportunities created?
· How do you quantify the impact of believing in someone when they don't yet believe in themselves?
· How do you measure the impact these now qualified staff have on young people’s lives.
Those answers don't appear on certificates. They appear in careers built, opportunities created and futures changed. And that's exactly what this milestone represents.
Congratulations, Linzi
From everyone at L&G Learning, congratulations on six fantastic years and an incredible milestone.
· One hundred apprenticeship completions.
· More than 100 learners supported.
· Fifty plus employers worked with.
· Countless lives impacted.
Thank you for everything you continue to do for our learners, employers and colleagues.
Something tells us the next hundred success stories might arrive sooner than you think. 🎉
Messages from Linzi’s candidates 💜
Ellie Jo McCormack “she always made visits and calls feel easy like you were talking to a friend who was helping you instead of an assessor. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better, kinder and funnier person to have as an assessor.”
Carla Soria Colom “Linzi was more than assessor she helped me to push through my apprenticeship as I wasn’t very confident with my English level at the time. I moved from Spain to England to Scotland in space of 18 months . She was always caring and helping in every single way. Thanks to Linzi I gained confident in myself”
Brooke Hunter “Linzi, was a great support system through out my modern apprenticeship she believed in me when i didn’t i was going through a really tough time as i was completing my apprenticeship and wanted to give up and Linzi pushed me through, I will always be grateful for having such an amazing mentor throughout my apprenticeship. Thank you Linzi💜”
Niamh Traynor “Linzi was so amazing she helped me so much during my time as an apprentice she always believed in me even when i didn't believe in myself and has allowed me to grow and develop into a job i absolutely love”
Alissa Sharp “While going through my SVQ I had so many set backs and personal problems. Linzi stood by and made me keep going with it, encouraging me without pushing me too much that would set me back. She was so patient and treated me with so much kindness and respect. Linzi wasn’t just an assessor she was a friend whilst getting through this. I can honestly say if I weren’t so lucky to have had Linzi with me during this qualification I don’t think I would have accomplished it.”
Luci Forsyth “A big thank you to Linzi for being the most supportive and down to earth person i have ever met i am so grateful that i was able to start off my journey in childcare with you. Since starting at Tiptoes nursery at 16 i am still here 4 years later doing what i love with all my favourite faces around me. You are amazing at what you do and the kindest soul ever I appreciate you so much xx”
Hope Atsa “Linzi throughout my whole apprenticeship was super kind, supportive and lovely to work with. She was great at reassuring me that I was on the right track and I enjoyed all our team phone calls. I am now a student child nurse at Napier university.”
Ren Paterson “Linzi helped me through my apprenticeship immensely, she was so patient and helped me with things that I never knew I needed help with. Things that was essential for an early years worker also turned out to be essential for my daily life, mental and physical health. Linzi was absolutely brilliant and I don’t think I could’ve done my apprenticeship without her!”
Eva Cowan “Linzi made sure to be as helpful as possible during my modern apprenticeship, she made every task clear and as easy as possible and helped me when I was unsure. She celebrated all of my successes with me and made me feel very welcome!”
Zoe Boddison “Linzi was so supportive and very adapting to my visual stress. Genuinely couldn’t have done it without her. I’m now a Swim Teacher! Which was what I’ve wanted to do for years and finally got the job due to now having the experience and a childcare qualification!”
Sophie Hutcheon “not only fabulous but she is funny, a great listener, and a friend for life ☺️”
Leah McFarlane “Thank you so much for all your help! I worked in a nursery for 3 years before becoming a mum to my little girl and am now back at collage”
Ellie Roxburgh “Linzi was VERY supportive and understanding, she explained things in details and was incredibly patient. Linzi is the kindest and the best assessor and I appreciate everything she done for me. Since qualifying I now work in a children’s home support the kids that need it most.”
Darla Hamilton “Linzi was my assessor - genuinely the best! She helped me so much I wouldn’t have qualified without her. I’m now at Uni for Children’s Nursing.”
Kerri Munro “Linzi was a lovely assessor who always made me feel comfortable, she was always very enthusiastic and believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to complete my apprentice with. I have now Graduated Uni and become a full time teacher in a Primary School.”
Katelin Usher “I had a really positive experience with Linzi as my assessor. She was supportive, encouraging and helped me build my confidence throughout my qualification. I really appreciated the time and effort she put into supporting me and helping me achieve my qualification. I’m grateful for the support she gave me and proud to be one of the 100 candidates who qualified with her. Congratulations on 6 years, Linzi!”
Lucy Meldrum “Linzi was amazing i couldn’t thank her enough for everything she done for me and all the support.”
Jamielee Sinnet “She was amazing , she gave me support always made sure I understood what I was doing and always made sure I was happy. Linzi is amazing at what she does, she’s a great person inside and out and always made me happy.”
Jaidyn Gray “When I first started my training I was quite shy, I didnt feel very confident. The more meetings we had together I became more confident and comfortable within my role. Linzi helped me come out of my shell and made sure I put the best effort into my qualification.”
Hope Donnachie “Linzi supported me in every way I needed. She took the time to explain things and I enjoyed our video calls each time. She supported me to navigate doing my course while being a mum to a young child at the time. Our calls were my favourite part of my day. Linzi goes above and beyond for her candidates and I had the pleasure of being one. I now work as a full time residential worker in a children’s home and I love it so much! Now looking towards going into social work. Thank you Linzi x”.
Chloe Morgan “Throughout my apprenticeship, Linzi was incredibly supportive and helpful. She was always there to offer guidance, answer any questions and help me whenever I needed it. She made me feel comfortable and confident in my abilities, always encouraging me to do my best. Her patience, kindness and support made a big difference to my learning experience, and I am really grateful for everything she done for me.”
Brogan Inglis “Linzi built a good strong relationship with me. She took an interest in what I like and had a lot of time for me. She also got back to me quickly marking my work which helped me qualify within 6 months. I’m currently in second year of university, studying Adult Nursing.”
Kenzi Blakely “Linzi was the best mentor I could ask for. She would always go above and beyond to help me out, She made me feel welcomed every time I visited the office and was always the best help.”
Ellie Bryson “Linzi was an amazing assessor who was always there to offer help, guidance and support whenever I needed it. She was really encouraging and motivated me to stay on track and meet my deadlines. She genuinely wanted me to succeed and always went above and beyond to make sure I had the support I needed. I couldn’t have had a better assessor. I now have twin boys who are almost one year old.”
Bethany Murray “I just want to thank linzi for everything she done for me during my time at L&G. Being a young mum doing an apprenticeship wasn’t always easy, but she was so patient with me, understanding and supportive. Linzi never made me feel like a burden asking so many questions and always took the time to help and encourage me when I needed it. She understood I had responsibilities outside of my apprenticeship and showed me kindness and compassion. I’m so grateful to have someone who believed in me and supported me through my journey. Linzi made a great difference to my experience and ill always be appreciative for everything she has done for me. I am currently a care assistant working towards being a paediatric nurse.”
Olivia Edmonds “Linzi guided me through my SVQ 2 in Health and Social care, I remember always feeling comfortable and confident throughout my course and never felt like any question was a silly one. I am a Social care worker living in Orkney now and expecting a baby! Thank you for all your support, Linzi. I won't forget it!”
Caitlin Dickson “Linzi helped me so much over the year of my apprenticeship when I needed her support and kindness. I couldn't have done it without her, she helped me build my confidence and helped me with some really difficult situations always encouraging me to do my best.”
Amalia Holman “Linzi was a super supportive assessor, and gave a lot of attention to my progress during the apprenticeship to ensure I remained on track. She’s so friendly and made the apprenticeship very enjoyable! The apprenticeship sparked my excitement for teaching and made me want to take my education further. I am now studying a degree in Adventure education and outdoor learning at the university of the Highlands and Islands. Thanks Linzi!”