Context
SOLAS: the driving force behind the digital transformation of continuing education in Ireland
SOLAS, Ireland’s Further Education and Training Authority, plans, funds, and coordinates FET across the country. Its mandate includes supporting jobseekers, school leavers, up skilling workers, and fostering inclusion. As part of the 2020–2024 FET Strategy, SOLAS is leading a digital transformation to enable accessible, high-quality learning experiences at scale. A cornerstone of this strategy is a federated Moodle infrastructure, hosted in AWS, designed to support classroom, blended, and online learning across ETBs and national initiatives like eCollege.
Scaling a National Learning Ecosystem
As part of Ireland’s national commitment to accessible, lifelong learning, SOLAS leads the development of a unified, digital-first infrastructure for the Further Education and Training (FET) sector. With 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and diverse learner needs across the country, SOLAS required a trusted partner to manage, enhance, and future-proof its federated Moodle ecosystem.
Following a successful tender award, Enovation now supports over 80 Moodle instances under the SOLAS umbrella, enabling scalable, integrated, and secure virtual learning environments for learners and educators nationwide.
Client : Solas
Industry : Training Organisation
Region : Ireland
Products : 
Problems
- Complex multi-tenant environment
- Lack of integration with strategic systems
- Need for flexible and responsive service delivery
- Federation-wide value additions were required
Solutions
- Expert oversigh and efficient maintenance workflows.
- Seamless interaction with the Programme Learner Support System (PLSS) — which houses learner data, course calendars, and certification records.
- Delivery partner with the capacity to manage day-to-day operations, deliver major upgrades, support local ETB enhancements, and respond to ad hoc innovation needs.
- Strong focus on enabling accessible, standards-based learning and innovation — including accessibility tools, mobile learning, and teaching certifications.
Results
Enovation continues to deliver value, stability, and innovation through:
- STABLE, SCALABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
Designed and deployed by Enovation, the AWS-based Moodle environment supports high availability, performance, and future scalability. - NATIONALLY UNIFIED LMS FEDERATION
The federated model supports consistent governance while empowering ETBs with local flexibility — enabling blended, online, and in-classroom learning delivery. - ROBUST SECURITY AND COMPLIANCE
Hosting and infrastructure management are underpinned by Enovation’s ISO 27001-certified ISMS, ensuring adherence to best-practice information security standards and continuous risk management. - OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
Proactive monitoring, performance optimisation, and timely updates keep over 80 live Moodle environments running smoothly.
- PLATFORM INNOVATION
Enovation delivers ongoing enhancements — including accessibility tools, educator certification programmes, and branded mobile learning apps. - STRATEGIC COLLABORATION
With a long-standing relationship and deep domain expertise, Enovation continues to advise and support SOLAS as a key digital transformation partner within the national FET landscape. - ENHANCEMENT OF eCOLLEGE PLATFORM
Enovation has significantly contributed to the evolution of eCollege, SOLAS's national online learning service. This includes the development of a new Drupal-based portal frontend, improving user.
Conclusion
A transformative step in SOLAS’s digital learning evolution.
Enovation has built a long-standing, trusted partnership with SOLAS, leading the transformation of Ireland’s Further Education and Training (FET) landscape. As the original architect of the federated Moodle infrastructure, Enovation migrated over 80 Moodle sites to a secure AWS environment.
The platform now underpins national learning delivery, combining high performance, local flexibility, and robust information security via Enovation’s ISO 27001-certified systems. Ongoing support includes infrastructure optimisation, innovative platform enhancements, and strategic collaboration. Enovation also played a key role in upgrading the eCollege platform with a new Drupal-based frontend, improving access and usability for learners across Ireland.
What
our customers
say
"Enovation has played a central role in the evolution of our digital learning infrastructure. Their expertise, flexibility, and long-standing commitment to the FET sector have been instrumental in helping us scale a secure, integrated Moodle federation that now supports learners and educators nationwide. Their strategic insight and responsive support make them a valuable partner in delivering on our digital transformation goals."
Ciara Ni Fhloinn | Flexible Learning Manager
Solas
