Twenty years ago, I had no grand plan to build a software company; I simply wanted to solve a problem.
Having moved from Software Engineering into Further Education as a lecturer, I experienced first-hand the frustrations that many Personal Tutors faced every day. Preparing for learner reviews meant pulling together information from multiple systems, spreadsheets and paper records. It was time-consuming, inefficient and, ultimately, took valuable time away from supporting learners.
As someone with a software development background, my instinct was simple: there had to be a better way. That idea became eTrackr-ilp, and in 2006 VLE Support Ltd was born!
At the time, I couldn’t have imagined that one product would grow into an entire suite of solutions used by colleges and training providers across the UK, supporting well over 200,000 active learners.
It’s Never Just Been About the Software
People often assume we’re in the software business, but I’ve never really seen it that way. We’re in the business of helping education providers make life easier for staff and improve outcomes for learners.
Every new product we’ve developed has started with a conversation – A customer explaining a challenge, a college looking for a better process, or a training provider asking, “Could your software also help us with this?”
That approach has shaped everything we’ve created – from eTrackr to eSpirALS, eNotify, eSignUp, eTimetable, eHub and, most recently, eApprentice, every product exists because someone in the sector needed a better solution.
The FE Sector Has Changed Beyond Recognition
When we started, the sector looked very different. Technology has transformed how colleges and providers work. Funding rules have evolved. Apprenticeships have changed dramatically. Expectations around reporting, learner support, compliance and data have grown year after year.
One thing, however, has remained constant: The people working in Further Education continue to do an incredible job, often under significant pressure and with limited resources.
It’s been a privilege for our team to play a small part in helping them do that job more effectively.
Our Customers Have Helped Build VLE Support
One of the things I’m proudest of isn’t a product, it’s the relationships we’ve built.
Many of our customers have been with us for well over a decade. Some have been using our software almost since the beginning and that’s something we never take for granted.
Our products today look very different from those first versions because our customers have continually challenged us, inspired us and trusted us enough to tell us where we could improve. In many ways, they’ve helped build VLE Support Ltd, alongside us.
None of This Happens Without Our Team
While people often associate VLE Support Ltd with me, the reality is that none of this would have been possible without an exceptional team.
Over the years we’ve brought together developers, consultants, trainers and support specialists who genuinely care about our customers and the education sector.
I believe that’s one of the reasons many of our customers stay with us. They know they’ll speak to people who understand their challenges and who genuinely want to help, and that culture is something I’m incredibly proud of.
Looking Ahead
Reaching twenty years feels like an important milestone, but it certainly doesn’t feel like the finish line.
Education continues to evolve, and so do the challenges our customers face.
Artificial intelligence, data integration, learner engagement and the changing apprenticeship landscape all present exciting opportunities to build even better solutions.
We’re investing more than ever in our products, expanding what eSuite can do and continuing to listen to the people who use our software every day. Recent milestones, including the acquisition of ISArc Ltd, are also helping us broaden our capability and strengthen what we can offer our customers.
Thank You
Finally, I’d simply like to say thank you.
Thank you to every member of the VLE Support team, past and present.
Thank you to every college, university and training provider that has trusted us over the past twenty years.
And thank you to everyone who has shared ideas, challenged us and helped us improve.
Twenty years ago, I wanted to solve one problem – today, we’re fortunate to be helping organisations across Further Education improve the experience of hundreds of thousands of learners.
I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together, and I genuinely believe the best is still to come!