Cheshire could become the most digitally skilled county in the country if two entrepreneurs realise their ambition.

Bev Cowperthwaite and Jayne Muspratt, both former further education lecturers, are behind the Cheshire Digital Skills Academy. The academy, a new company based in Chester, aims to tackle digital skills shortages in Cheshire and beyond.

The pair are using their extensive teaching experience to educate and train people in a wide variety of digital skills. The academy’s mission is to contribute to the reduction of the digital skills gap in the UK, giving employees the digital expertise they need to help businesses succeed and providing individuals with essential digital skills.

Their company is based at the University of Chester’s Riverside Innovation Centre.

To celebrate their new business, Bev and Jayne hosted a launch event at the centre where they also used the opportunity to create an awareness of the lack of digital skills across the country.

The event included announcements from Chester Town Crier David Mitchell, a talk from Paul Vernon, senior executive director of commercial operations and chief executive officer of the university’s Thornton Research Properties and a speech from Chester MP Chris Matheson (Lab).

Mr Matheson said: “I am supporting Cheshire Digital Skills Academy because of the importance of ensuring local people in Chester are up to speed with their digital skills.

“Paul Vernon and University of Chester business development staff at the Riverside Innovation Centre have said they are blown away by Jayne and Bev’s passion and commitment, that should tell you how good this business is.”

Jayne and Bev are both said to be highly qualified when it comes to digital skills, with Jayne adding: “It is staggering that over 12m adults have no basic digital skills at all and that, according to statistics, 5.8m people have never used the internet. This skills gap is costing the UK economy around £63bn a year in lost income.”

She continued: “Our business is starting to address these figures. Our motto is ‘there’s something for everyone’ and we believe that we can make Cheshire one of the highest digitally skilled counties in the country.

“Of course we can’t do this by ourselves but by upskilling both individuals and companies’ employees we can certainly make a difference.”

The company will also offer support to learners helping them apply and use their new skills through a Facebook collaboration group and YouTube tutorials and information.

Bev is also a talented local author of children’s books, of which seven have been published while Bev is using her digital skills to encourage other authors to ‘go digital’.

David Mitchell, an alumnus of the university, has praised an online publishing course he took through the academy.

“I found the course to be very enjoyable and was impressed by the standard of the teaching and the commitment of the teacher, Bev. I urge people to put their names down for a consultation,” he said.

For more information about the academy visit www.cdsacademy.co.uk.