25/09/2025
Apprentices Driving Digital Adoption in Cornwall’s Manufacturing Sector
A growing collaboration between leading business support provider Oxford Innovation Advice, the world-renowned Institute of Manufacturing and a progressive regional further education college is empowering apprentices to lead the charge in digital transformation for SME manufacturers across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
The Oxford Innovation Advice ‘Digitisation for Manufacturers’ (D4M) Programme has partnered with Truro & Penwith College to run a pilot of the innovative D4M Shoestring Apprenticeship Programme. Eight Truro & Penwith College apprentices worked to deploy low-cost digital solutions in their companies, tackling challenges in particulate monitoring, environmental tracking, downtime analysis, and temperature and power monitoring. These solutions, built using off-the-shelf technologies, are designed by the University of Cambridge’s Shoestring programme to be simple, affordable, and non-disruptive – perfectly suited to the needs of SMEs.
“The Oxford Innovation Advice and IfM Shoestring apprentice digital adoption programme combines skills development, innovation and peer-to-peer knowledge transfer – a heady mix that enables simple, data-driven process improvements which in-turn drives productivity. The reality is that manufacturers never reach digital maturity, because digital technology evolves faster than our ability to implement it. Therefore, it is vital that digital adoption is a constant presence at all levels of a business. The Shoestring apprentice programme addresses this and harnesses digitally native apprentices – many of whom are more tech-savvy than some of their more experienced colleagues.”
Matthew Giles, Programme Director – South West, Oxford Innovation Advice
The programme was delivered over 12 weeks by Oxford Innovation Advice through a mix of workshop sessions and on-site visits. Apprentices were guided through the full lifecycle of digital deployment – from identifying a need and selecting the right solutions, to building hardware to resolve network issues and modifying solutions based on real-world feedback. These skills map onto the role of a Production Engineer, helping apprentices stretch their learning and applied industrial understanding.
This hands-on approach is central to the Shoestring philosophy, which aims to demystify digitalisation and make it accessible to non-technical users. By enabling apprentices to lead deployments, the programme not only boosts productivity and sustainability for businesses but also builds vital digital skills and confidence among the next generation of engineers.
Funded by Cornwall Council, D4M Cornwall, which delivers the Shoestring programme locally, offers support to manufacturing SMEs in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Their mission is to help businesses adopt new technologies and practices that drive growth and efficiency. Through dedicated 1:1 support, workshops, peer learning, and expert guidance, D4M ensures companies can start their digital journey with minimal risk and maximum impact.
“It is great to know that other businesses and colleges are already interested in the apprentice programme – we look forward to rolling out the initiative further over the coming months.”
Matthew Giles, Programme Director – South West, Oxford Innovation Advice
If you’re a business interested in exploring how apprentices can help you meet your digital needs—or if you’d like to learn more about the Shoestring programme for Further Education Colleges —contact Shoestring Digital via contact@digitalshoestring.net
