As an offshore wind training provider, The Wind Academy needed a way to manage growing demand without being buried in admin. The team had outgrown spreadsheets and manual booking systems and wanted a connected platform that could bring together course scheduling, communication and reporting.
With accessplanit, The Wind Academy now runs their training management and learner journey in one place. From automated bookings and reminders to detailed delegate records and payment integration, the platform has given the team the structure, visibility and time they need to focus on what matters most: delivering high-quality training for a safer, more sustainable future. We spoke to Deborah Briggs, Marketing Manager at The Wind Academy to learn more.
The Wind Academy delivers specialist training for the fast-growing offshore wind industry. Based in the North East of England, the company helps professionals transition from aligned industries such as oil and gas, as well as those already working offshore, to gain the safety and technical qualifications they need to work safely at sea.
Their courses range from technical training on offshore cables to industry-approved safety modules like Sea Survival, delivered in partnership with local maritime colleges.
Founded just two years ago, The Wind Academy runs 26 courses, has already trained around 800 learners and continues to expand its course offering and facilities as demand for renewable energy skills grows.
“We’re still a young company, so everyone wears several hats. From course delivery to marketing and learner management, efficiency and organisation are essential.”
In its early days, The Wind Academy relied on manual spreadsheets and disconnected systems to manage courses, delegates and enquiries. Bookings arrived via calls, texts and emails, and were manually logged by the team. As the business grew, this became increasingly difficult to manage.
“It worked for a while, but we knew spreadsheets were only a short-term fix. As bookings increased, it became harder to stay on top of everything. We couldn’t filter courses, track progress, or manage communication efficiently.”
The team also used their website enquiry forms and a simple CRM to capture interest, but the setup was limited and disconnected from course scheduling. With no CRM or centralised database, the team spent hours managing emails, confirming bookings and chasing certificates.
Errors and delays were inevitable, and reporting on course outcomes or delegate progression required manually cross-referencing multiple spreadsheets.
“It wasn’t efficient or scalable. We needed something purpose-built for training providers, a system that could combine bookings, learners and communication in one place.”
When The Wind Academy began researching options, they came across several event and training management tools. It quickly became clear that accessplanit offered the flexibility, scalability and partnership approach they were looking for.
“What stood out immediately was the customer service. From the very first call, it felt like a partnership, not just a purchase. We knew that if we needed help, someone would be there to guide us.”
accessplanit’s training management software provided everything The Wind Academy needed to move away from spreadsheets:
Centralised course scheduling and delegate management
Automated communications for joining instructions and reminders
Built-in CRM functionality for tracking opportunities and enquiries
Flexible integrations with Stripe for payments and their website provider
Reporting tools to analyse course performance and revenue
“We didn’t just want a booking system. We wanted something that could track our delegates’ full journey, from enquiry to certification, and grow with us as we expand.”
The Wind Academy’s onboarding process was led by Louise, Implementation Manager at accessplanit, who helped structure each stage of the transition. “It was fantastic. Louise mapped out the whole process and gave us clear milestones. It made everything manageable and helped us prepare properly for each step.”
The shift from spreadsheets to a digital platform required a change in mindset, but once the team saw the time savings and visibility it offered, adoption quickly followed. New staff joining from larger organisations even commented on how intuitive accessplanit was to use.
“One of our new booking coordinators had worked at a call centre before and said accessplanit was the easiest system she’d ever used. That’s high praise.”
Since implementing accessplanit, The Wind Academy has gained full visibility across its training operations. The system now underpins course scheduling, delegate management and automated communications.
Key improvements include:
Significant time savings through automation of booking confirmations and reminders
Centralised records for every learner, including notes, progress and certificates
Simplified cancellations and transfers handled directly within the platform
Improved marketing insights through the Opportunities module and CRM
Integrated payments via Stripe for a seamless learner experience
“We used to spend hours sending joining instructions and reminders manually. Now it all happens automatically. It’s faster, more accurate, and we can focus on delivering great training.”
accessplanit has also helped The Wind Academy better capture the learner journey. With all communication and progress recorded in one place, the team can easily track outcomes, identify job placements and plan targeted marketing campaigns for refresher courses or new modules.
“We’re now able to see every touchpoint in a delegate’s journey, from their first enquiry to course completion. It’s transformed how we manage data and follow-up communication.”
The Wind Academy continues to expand its use of accessplanit, currently utilising around 20% of the platform’s full capability and planning to roll out more modules over time.
Their next steps include:
Enabling trainer access through the Trainer Portal to record attendance, feedback and learner notes
Using automated workflows to manage certificate renewals and refresher reminders
Introducing reporting dashboards to measure course performance and revenue trends
Exploring marketing automation through the integrated campaign tools
“We’re still discovering new ways to use accessplanit. Every time we explore a new feature, it saves us more time and gives us better insight into how we’re performing.”
Beyond the software itself, The Wind Academy highlighted the value of the partnership with accessplanit’s Support and Product teams. “What really sets accessplanit apart is how receptive they are to feedback. If something doesn’t quite work for us, it’s never a hard no. They listen, take suggestions and genuinely want to help.”
For The Wind Academy, accessplanit has become more than a platform. It’s a key part of their operational infrastructure and a driver of future growth. “accessplanit has become integral to how we run. It’s helping us build the processes we need to scale while keeping our learners’ experience at the heart of everything we do.”
“I’d recommend accessplanit to any training provider that wants to get organised and grow. It’s saved us time, improved our accuracy and given us complete visibility across our courses and delegates."
Book a demo with accessplanit today to find out how we can help your training company to grow and why we are the leading training management system.