It will be using Virtual College's learning-management system and eLearning resources alongside Smart Assessor's e-portfolio to enhance its this component of its offerings.

One of the major benefits that Paragon can pass on to employers will be better visibility of their staff progress and how they are doing on their apprenticeship programme. Employers will have increased access to work that has been set, which will, in turn, benefit the apprentice, as their employer will be able to fully support them from start to finish. Paragon's delivery teams will also benefit from less time travelling, less time sitting in traffic, and from reduced mileage.

Daniel O'Keefe, Managing Director of Paragon Skills, commented, "Using technology to support our operation offers us additional advantages in terms of the quality, consistency, and the success of our delivery. “Online resources will help us engage successfully in a medium that sits comfortably with young apprentices. These resources, and our ability to use the learning management system to track learner progress, will help us achieve timely achievement rates."

In a competitive pitch, Virtual College and e-portfolio provider Smart Assessor collaborated to provide a successful offer. Virtual College will provide knowledge resources, including foundation, functional skills, and technical-certificate content, to support a range of popular apprenticeships. Smart Assessor will enhance the competency element of the apprenticeship with its e-portfolio software.

"Working in partnership with Virtual College to offer an integrated assessment and learning solution is very exciting," said Fiona Hudson-Kelly, one of the founders of Smart Assessor, a fresh and innovative e-portfolio. "It will enable Paragon to enhance learners' experience of evidencing competence and accessing learning resources online."

Mr O'Keefe added, "Quality and consistency will also be enhanced by using Virtual College's learning-management system to support our own staff induction and appraisal systems."

Liam Prendergast, Commercial Manager of Virtual College's Education Division, commented, "Online teaching and learning resources are gaining real traction as a credible solution to the challenges of apprenticeship provision. Our tools and resources are already being used by some of the UK's leading training providers and further education colleges."