How a Canadian SME is Navigating Off-Shore Training
The transition from a decades-old domestic service provider to a global software exporter is a critical hurdle for many established Canadian SMEs. For TrainCan, Inc., a Pickering-based company specialising in food handler and workplace safety training for over twenty years, this shift wasn’t just about expanding their client list – it was about solving a global, technological barrier for one of the world’s most complex industries: the maritime sector.
This strategic pivot has resulted in the launch of Next Wave Learning, a B2B Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform designed for the cruise industry. The story of this venture is a blueprint for how Canadian SMEs can leverage deep domain expertise and strategic technology partnerships to find new, highly specialised global niches.
The Challenge of the ‘Deskless’ Workforce
TrainCan’s core business is built on compliance and certification. When they looked at the global cruise industry, they identified a massive, mandatory training requirement coupled with an impossible logistical problem: erratic internet connectivity at sea.
Traditional e-learning platforms rely on a stable, high-speed connection. Cruise ship crew members – a mobile and “deskless” workforce – often cannot access or complete essential safety and compliance courses while on duty. This creates a continuous compliance headache and a data management nightmare for cruise line operators who must track training records across thousands of rotating staff members.
As Matthew Kostuch, Vice President, Director of Operations & Development at TrainCan, Inc., notes, the investment into Next Wave Learning was about tackling this fundamental issue. “We are applying our proven safety model to a new global market. By investing in this technology, we are enabling a more accessible and effective way to deliver training to crew members worldwide, regardless of where they are sailing.”
Building the Offline Solution
The solution was a homegrown Canadian innovation: an offline-first mobile LMS application. This is the key technical differentiator.
The platform enables crew members to download entire courses onto their devices before connectivity is lost. They can then complete the full training offline, on their own schedule. Once the device reconnects – perhaps in a port or during a stable period of satellite link – all training records and progress automatically sync back to the cloud. This ensures compliance records are always up-to-date and removes the ‘stop-start’ frustration common to conventional e-learning.
To execute this complex technological pivot, TrainCan partnered with Titus Learning, an award-winning Moodle partner and certified B Corporation. This partnership demonstrates the power of collaboration between companies with complementary skills – TrainCan providing the regulatory knowledge, and Titus Learning providing the bespoke technical development expertise.
Mandeep Kullar from Titus Learning emphasised the nature of the project: “Our team thrives on solving complex e-learning challenges. By pushing the boundaries of what is possible with Moodle’s offline capabilities, we are building a platform that will set a new global standard for professional development at sea.”
A Dual-Audience Strategy for Global Growth
From a business model perspective, Next Wave Learning is strategically positioned with a dual monetisation approach. The primary revenue stream will be the B2B model, selling comprehensive training packages directly to cruise lines for large-scale staff compliance. However, it also incorporates a B2C model, allowing individual professionals to self-fund specialised course purchases via credit card. This dual approach provides both a reliable revenue base from large corporate contracts and the flexibility to capture individual market demand.
By focusing on a critical, often overlooked technical limitation – the lack of reliable internet connectivity – TrainCan’s Next Wave Learning is demonstrating how SMEs can successfully translate deep vertical expertise into a scalable, high-value, global SaaS export. Their journey offers a clear lesson: look not just at what an industry needs, but what the industry’s unique environment prevents it from getting.
Mark Gash
EdTech Creative
Mark Gash is a copywriter and designer working in the e-learning industry. With a background in press and advertising, he joined Moodle development company, adaptiVLE Ltd., in 2017 and has recently become part of the marketing team at Titus Learning. Mark is experienced in scoping and designing engaging learning experiences across a variety of industries, from charities, healthcare, manufacturing and technology.
