Changing the face of training & learning data management

Guest Editorial •  Summer 2022

For independent training providers, managing learner data and funding information is crucial to their operations and compliance. Cleverclogs Multimedia understand perfectly how to deal with these challenges. Following a ten-year background in content and software creation within the software industry, Mike Horton and Lynn Yates founded Cleverclogs Multimedia 12 years ago starting as a one-stop-shop for multimedia services such as graphic design, websites, photography and learning platforms, they discovered a passion for data management and the problem-solving opportunities this provided. They realised they could create a way for providers to share business-critical information, tools and skills to ensure transparency, accountability and compliance.
This passion led to developing their first in-house software as a service application – Athena MIS. Initially Athena MIS helped subcontracted training providers with managing their learner data more effectively, to transition from spreadsheets to more a manageable, practical, easy-to-use application with dashboards displaying data visually using graphs and charts.

Cleverclogs Multimedia could quickly adapt to market changes as a micro organisation, including the huge apprenticeship reform. This then offered a route for subcontractor clients to become lead providers and a lot of skills from Cleverclogs Multimedia to manage new levels of data and compliance requirements, including submitting monthly individualised Learner Records (ILRs) which attracted other lead providers delivering non-apprenticeship training too.
In a rapidly changing sector the software continually evolves and reinforces the vision of supporting all types of independent training providers with quality, evidence, and compliance challenges with a user-friendly and solid software application, not only for the daily administrative tasks but a greatly enhanced experience for their learners too.

When the pandemic hit, it was business as usual for Athena MIS clients as they benefitted from unlimited user accounts and 24/7 access from anywhere in the UK, with many already using our fully integrated ePortfolio and Internal Quality Assurance (IQA). For Cleverclogs Multimedia, this provided an opportunity to action visionary creations as the sector relied on digital technologies to keep working and learners learning.

This led to the expansion of their services with Athena eRecruit ATS and Athena eDocs to provide a fully inclusive end-to-end system with the bonus of reducing carbon footprints. Providing the tools to transform paper-based learning materials, forms and paperwork into digital documents and eLearning workbooks for completion within the Athena platform, not only streamlines admin processes but gives learners control over progression through their learning journey.
This revolution in their software has brought them to today with the launch of a monthly subscription version of Athena eRecruit ATS with Athena eDocs in September. This will be the first standalone applicant tracking system for all forward-thinking training providers delivering everything from apprenticeships ESFA-funded contracts to the smallest commercial provision.

For more information, contact us at lynn@cleverclogsmultimedia.com and check out our website cleverclogsmultimedia.com.