Learning Pool

The training industry has been transformed more than most by the Internet, with online learning materials now available in virtually every workplace.

One of the leading providers of online learning in the public sector is Learning Pool, a company that was originally created as an internal project in the Local Government Association.

Today, Learning Pool is an independent company that works with 300 councils across the UK, offering e-learning content and management platforms together with software tools to make the most of online learning.

The company employs around 50 people and is completely self-funded, explains Paul McElvaney, a director of the firm. Despite a period of unprecedented budget pressures in the public sector, the company's growth has remained strong - probably because online learning provides organisations with a way to save large amounts of money without compromising on service quality.

"We are constantly trying to innovate, using open source technology to provide products that will meet the needs of clients, and can be customised easily," says McElvaney. "Getting to market quickly is a real priority for us and it works, in that we're beginning to see a lot of referral business, as organisations realise that our products are doing a better job than our competitors'."

Learning Pool is based in Derry, in Northern Ireland, and location hasn't been a barrier to growth, says McElvaney. "There are always challenges if you're in a peripheral location but we are near to the university, with a young, skilled population, and as a city, we have brilliant connectivity, and there's a real buzz here around the digital space."

McElvaney isn't surprised that software companies like his are booming all over the UK. "With the technology available to new companies today, in terms of cloud services and infrastructure, you can literally take an idea from concept to live in six or eight weeks, change them, and go back to market again," he says. "There is huge innovation and because companies don't need to buy servers or storage to get started, the barriers to entry have never been lower allowing companies to compete and win on the quality of their service."