Investing in your workforce Tag

06 Mar

Posted at 11:46h in Case Study by

How visitor attraction Land’s End is investing in its people to develop the next generation of business leaders

A heritage visitor attraction in West Cornwall is developing its future leadership through upskilling local talent across the business.

For decades, Land’s End landmark has been recruiting local people and supporting them to shine through a culture of training and development.

David Hocking started at Land’s End as a retail assistant in 2013, whilst studying advertising. He then moved into the role of marketing assistant straight after completing his degree and has worked his way up to Head of Marketing – South. He now oversees marketing for several Heritage Great Britain sites across the UK. He says a culture of investing in local talent is embedded within the business.

Local talent is the future of our business. Across all departments, from coffee shops to digital marketing, we’re looking to upskill people from the local area so they can continue to move the business forward.

David and his team regularly seek out local training opportunities, included courses delivered through Digital Futures Cornwall.

Marketing executive Charlotte Thorpe recently completed the Skills Bootcamp in content creation and website development with Truro and Penwith College. Her role involves delivering content across web, social media and other digital touchpoints. She said the course has helped underpin her creative approach to marketing with digital skills.

Charlotte said: “It’s really nice to work for a team that value my development. At university, my course was very creative, and my strongest points are how I work creatively.

The Skills Bootcamp helped me gain knowledge in the technical aspects of my job. We covered content creation, SEO, analytics, coding, content management systems – it's really helped me understand the data behind the work we do in marketing.

There are still plenty of courses taking place during March across the Digital Futures Cornwall Cornwall partnership. Head to https://www.digitalfuturescornwall.co.uk/courses to find out what is on offer.

Are you looking to Power Up Your People in 2026? Check out our interactive tools to support your workforce development:

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Digital Futures Cornwall is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and led by Truro and Penwith College. This part-funding ends on 31 March 2026.

17 Feb

Posted at 13:51h in Case Study by

How embracing apprenticeships has built a culture of people development at Hertzian

An AI product company has been powering its growth by building its own pipeline of talent.

Hertzian uses AI technology to collect, analyse and report on customer feedback data. Its products support a range of sectors, from the gaming industry to medical and retail.

Hertzian was established in 2015, off the back of Falmouth University’s Launchpad programme. The team has grown from two to 15, with most of the tech talent based in Cornwall and other support roles based across the UK and Europe. 

Founder Christopher Weavill said:

People really are the engine of a successful business. Without skilled, happy people, businesses don’t succeed. It’s important that businesses invest in their staff.

Hertzian introduced an apprenticeship programme from the start-up phase. One of the first recruits, Christian Dove, has now progressed to lead developer and guides the tech team.

Christian said: “Whilst my role involves a lot of doing the tech work, I’m also managing people and mentoring them, supporting new apprentices through the journey I had. The culture here is focused on learning, improving yourself and being the best you can be.”

The Academy of AI

The business has since set up the Academy of AI – offering flexible pathways of progression for people want to enter the tech industry, including T levels, work experience and apprenticeships.

Hertzian partners with Truro and Penwith College and national training provider Corndel to combine qualifications with hands-on experience.

One of the latest team members to join on an apprenticeship is junior software developer Dylan Foster-Slack. He said: “I chose an apprenticeship because I am much more of a hands-on learner. I remember things better and learn better by practically doing the work.

Working at Hertzian, it’s a really friendly and supportive environment. I’m not just an apprentice, I’m a junior developer – everyone's opinions are welcome. I’m surrounded by a team who enjoy what they do.

Are you looking to Power Up Your People in 2026?

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Digital Futures Cornwall is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and led by Truro and Penwith College. This part-funding ends on 31 March 2026.

06 Feb

Posted at 11:50h in Case Study by

Driving digital visibility for business development

Digital creative Kay Barnes has seen an uplift in business enquiries and bookings for her business, Flux Studio, thanks to attending empowering workshops in brand and finance.

Kay works as an independent videographer and creative content strategist, based in West Cornwall. By taking part in two workshops delivered by TECWomen CIC, Kay has been confidently booking more work, and 2026 is set to be a busy year.

Building visibility through personal branding

In November 2025, she joined a personal branding masterclass as part of the digitalUPLIFT programme. Led by digital marketing expert Lyssa-Fêe Crump, Kay learned how to craft a consistent presence on LinkedIn, and how building visibility supports the sales pipeline.

She said: “The personal branding workshop really helped me get to grips with LinkedIn and how to use that platform to increase visibility of my business.

By putting what I learned into practice, I’m already seeing a huge increase in LinkedIn enquiries and new bookings. It’s started to snowball!

Confidence and clarity around business finance

Earlier this year, Kay attended the Female Founder Finance Brunch in St Ives, part of the founderUPLIFT programme. The session covered business finance, funding and how to build financial sustainability – something that Kay is keen to maintain as a busy freelancer.

“It’s been so lovely to chat to other business founders – it feels difficult to have those conversations about finance and money. So, this has allowed me to be open and feel confident that no question is silly.”

Investing in growth beyond the desk

By honing her marketing and laying the financial foundations, Kay has noticed a steady increase in her confidence as well as demand for her services. In January, she was booked to cover the Cornwall AI in Education Summit, delivered by TECgirls and Digital Futures Cornwall.

“As a sole trader, it feels like a pull to step away from doing the work and earning money, but stepping away and doing these workshops has benefited me so much more than staying at the desk. I’m out there, meeting other people and having human to human conversations.”

I would encourage any business to Power Up their People and check out what other training is available.

Approximately 76% of occupations in Cornwall require digital skills. 85% of businesses in Cornwall agree that training boosts productivity. But 72% have no formal training plan or budget. Ready to Power Up Your People in 2026?

Digital Futures Cornwall is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and led by Truro and Penwith College. This part-funding ends on 31 March 2026.

22 Dec

Posted at 15:51h in News & Events by

Your people are your greatest asset—but are they equipped with the skills to keep your business competitive and profitable?

Why it Matters

According to the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Digital Skills Assessment, approximately 76% of occupations in Cornwall require digital skills.

CIOS Skills Hub have concluded that whilst training is valued by Cornwall organisations, it is not always prioritised – feedback shows that there are perceptions that training is for new or younger staff, and that there is a lack of structured processes to ensure ROI from training.

What Cornish businesses are saying

Research from the CIOS Skills Hub (May 2023) reveals: 

  • 85%  agree training boosts productivity 
  • 65%  say training helps retain staff 
  • Yet 41%  prefer recruiting experienced staff over training existing teams 
  • 72%  have no formal training plan or budget 
  • 62%  believe training isn’t necessary for small businesses (and 78% of CIOS enterprises employ 0–4 people) 

The gap is clear: training is valued, but not always prioritised. 

ROI for digital upskilling

We have developed a simple ‘Return of Investment’ (ROI) calculator to show organisations in Cornwall how much extra productivity, efficiency savings, and revenue could potentially be gained from investing in digital skills training.

Click on the link, add your details and quickly see the financial return (and optional social value) on your investment.

Ready to Power Up Your People?

At Digital Futures Cornwall, we help organisations like yours unlock growth through skills development.

Whether you’re a small enterprise or a growing SME, futureproofing your workforce starts here.

Complete our interactive quiz: How Futureproof is Your Workforce?

To help you understand where you are now – and where your business could be with investment in skills development. The quiz takes approximately 5 minutes and you’ll receive a personalised report straight into your inbox.

Explore case studies

See how organisations like yours are thriving through skills development.

Speak to the Digital Futures Cornwall team

We have a diverse range of training opportunities on offer. We can guide you to the best options for your team and put you in touch with partners who can tailor content and co-create training to fit your needs.

Digital Futures Cornwall is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and led by Truro and Penwith College. This part-funding ends on 31 March 2026.

19 Dec

Posted at 12:56h in Case Study by

How 108 Coffee Powered Up Their Digital Strategy To Boost Sales

When a high-street business was looking to boost footfall and sales during the summer months, they turned to Digital Futures Cornwall to understand more about the tools they could use for impact. 

108 Coffee is run by husband-and-wife team Charlie and Dava Wilson. They serve locally roasted, premium barista coffee as well as breakfasts, lunches, cakes and sweet treats from their premises in Kenwyn Street, Truro.  

After taking some time off during early 2024 and refurbishing the café, Charlie and Dava wanted to bring back footfall to boost their sales and customer data. After completing a Digital Marketing course with Truro and Penwith College, they developed a 50% off coffee deal and launched their first Facebook advert campaign plus established a regular beat of content across their Instagram account. 

Rebuilding footfall

A new digital loyalty scheme was also developed – working with their point-of-sale tech and accountancy software. Charlie and Dava are also working to build data profiles of their customers and offer a digital “stamp” card for loyal customers to claim a free coffee. 

After implementing these changes, they recorded their best month of revenue in October in five years of running the business. 

Charlie said: “Like all high street businesses, we’re facing rising costs across the board. We’re really trying to push our revenue to cope with that, without continually raising our prices.”

Data-led decisions for a stronger business

“We first met Digital Futures Cornwall though a robot – Ameca at the start of 2025. We got some catering work, and I got to know the organisation and the courses they offer.

“The main area we wanted to focus on was digital marketing to look at Facebook advertising and Instagram.

“We’ve also been working with the data we’re receiving from our point-of-sale software and our accountancy software. We’re using it as a live report to inform our business and point us in the right direction.”

Record-breaking results

Since the boost in using digital tools, Charlie and Dava have noticed an uplift in sales and revenue. October 2025 was their most successful month in five years of running the business. 

The support from Digital Futures Cornwall has given the couple confidence continuing to build their channels – the next step in 108 Coffee’s digital journey is to explore options for a new website. 

Confidence to keep growing

Charlie added: “It’s been really positive. We normally experience a dip after the summer in the run up to Christmas, but for the first time we’ve seen a steady increase from August to November.

“Digital Futures Cornwall has been a huge help to us. I would encourage any business in Cornwall to Power Up their People and get involved.”

Are you looking to Power Up Your People in 2026?

Digital Futures Cornwall is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and led by Truro and Penwith College. This part-funding ends on 31 March 2026.