BUSINESSES are being urged to invest in team development by using two interactive tools launched by the Digital Futures Cornwall partnership, led by Truro and Penwith College.

The first is a digital scorecard which helps businesses identify skills gaps and improve their digital readiness for resilience and growth. The five-minute questionnaire delivers a tailored result for each business with recommendations for next steps in building a continuing professional development (CPD) plan, plus signposting to extra business support.

The second tool is an online dashboard built in Microsoft Power BI which offers an at-a-glance overview of the potential return on investment for businesses budgeting for workforce development.

The tools have launched as part of the Power Up Your People campaign to urge employers to make strategic decisions about upskilling and investing in their team, against a backdrop of diminishing funding available to Cornwall.

Jenny Gramnes, SPF Contract Manager at Truro and Penwith College, which delivers Digital Futures Cornwall, said: “The landscape of support for businesses to access funded staff development is dramatically changing in 2026.

“Time is running out to access free or low-cost training under schemes such as the Shared Prosperity Fund, which ends its funding cycle on March 31. Going forward, it will become even more important for businesses to plan for what their training needs might be, and to ensure enough budget has been set aside for staff development.

“To that end, we wanted to develop tools to support businesses with their resource planning.” The “fun and interactive” tools were co-created with members of the Digital Futures Cornwall partnership including Cornwall Council and Tech Cornwall.

The campaign also features case studies from businesses that have benefited from training with Digital Futures Cornwall, including 108 Coffee in Truro’s Kenwyn Street. Owners Charlie and Dava Wilson have run the business for five years, and saw their best month yet in October 2025 after completing digital marketing training. “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,” said Charlie.

Bethany Allen, business support manager at Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth Hub, said: “Alongside trying out these interactive tools, we’d encourage any business who is considering how to get the best from their people in 2026 to get in touch with the Growth Hub.

“We have expert Business Connectors on hand to help identify the skills you need now, and in the future, and can introduce you to the right support, at the right time for your business.”

Further hands-on training is available during March to support help businesses harness the power of AI and digital tools. Delivered by Digital Peninsula Network, the two-hour sessions cover AI and search engine optimisation (SEO), Instagram and YouTube, and AI for Marketing. They aim to transform how participants create content, optimise their online presence and leverage social media.

Digital Futures Cornwall is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and led by Truro and Penwith College. This project has received £1,574,740.