Case study
Highlands and Islands Airports
Achieving 95% compliance in a highly-regulated sector with Learning Pool.
Key results
95%
100%
Better visibility
Background
Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) operates 11 airports across Scotland, from Sumburgh in Shetland to Campbeltown in the south.
With around 700 employees working across diverse areas, HIAL plays a vital role in connecting communities and serving as a lifeline service to help get people in remote locations to hospital for medical care.
Challenge
As an organisation in the highly regulated aviation sector, HIAL must ensure all employees consistently meet strict compliance and safety training requirements. However, in 2023, HIAL’s compliance with mandatory e-learning stood at just 31%.
Until 2012, when HIAL adopted Learning Pool, the organisation had no LMS in place and relied entirely on paper records. This made it difficult to track progress, resulting in low completion rates and inconsistent engagement.
With frequent audits from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and a Learning & Development team of just three people, HIAL needed a reliable solution that could quickly and effectively:
- Drive compliance for mandatory and regulatory learning across all sites
- Improve employee confidence and engagement with learning
- Monitor and record compliance effectively and efficiently for auditing purposes
- Provide insights into mandatory training gaps by region, role, and function
- Improve buy-in from senior leadership and airport managers
- Increase trust amongst regulatory bodies
Solution
The game-changer for HIAL has been the introduction of new learner and manager dashboards—the single biggest driver of improved compliance across the organisation.
When HIAL upgraded to Learning Pool's professional tier in August 2023, it wasn’t just a system change. It was a strategic investment that delivered instant visibility, accountability, and control:
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Learner dashboards: Every individual now sees their compliance status front and centre, driving ownership and action.
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Manager dashboards: Leaders have immediate oversight of their teams, spotting gaps and resolving them before they become risks.
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Certifications and notifications: Automated tracking and timely reminders keep everyone on top of their training.
The results speak for themselves:
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Audit-ready at all times: Instant, accurate records have strengthened trust with regulators including the Civil Aviation Authority and Transport Scotland.
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A confident, ambitious culture: With compliance simplified and visible, the organisation is more motivated than ever to push learning forward.
By putting visibility at the heart of compliance, HIAL has created a more accountable workforce, stronger audit performance, and a learning culture built for long-term success.
“We cannot praise the support team highly enough. They have been invaluable to our success. It’s like phoning a friend. They always pay attention to what we ask from them. Without Learning Pool, we simply wouldn’t be as compliant.”
Helen Robertson, Learning and Development Advisor at HIAL
Outcomes
The impact of the upgraded platform was immediate and significant:
- Compliance: Mandatory learning completion soared from 31% to 95% in just over a year.
- User engagement: The new platform achieved 100% user access, with every employee logging in and completing their required learning.
- Cultural shift: The platform is now viewed as a central, valuable tool for professional development, not just a compliance checkbox.
- Strategic insights: Detailed reporting provides leadership with the clear data needed to inform corporate and strategic planning.
Looking ahead
HIAL is continuing to explore new opportunities with Learning Pool, with upcoming plans to roll out a programme for leadership development on the Learning Platform and improve operational training.
With compliance firmly under control, the focus is now on growth, development, and innovation.
About Highlands and Islands Airports
Use Cases
Upskilling
Industry
Public Sector
Audience
700 employees
Location
UK
Products
