Britain’s greatest asset is its people, but too many are locked out of opportunity.
Right now, millions are kept from good work by illness, caring responsibilities, or simply because navigating services is not always as straight forward as it could be.
Behind those numbers are real lives: the single parent trying to find work that fits school hours; the midcareer professional who wants to switch fields but doesn’t know where to start; the young person taking their first steps and needing guidance that stays available even when they get a job.
Public services are full of good intentions. But despite our best efforts, sometimes we don't see those intentions fully realised. If you’re reading this, you may already know a little about out plans – and that we’re already testing new approaches to transform our jobcentres and careers and skills offer.
Despite our best intentions, and our strides forward - including the efforts of GOV.UK - there are still too many doorways and forms and too much jargon.
The system can feel like it’s designed around processes rather than people. It’s time to flip that.
The Big Idea
If you’ve read our White Paper – Get Britain Working you’ll know our ambitions to build a modern, integrated jobs, careers and skills service designed around real lives. It’s for everyone, whether you’re looking for your first job, returning to work after illness, switching careers in midlife, or planning how to progress in the job you already have. It’ll bring together employment, skills and health support in one place, with universal access through the right channels at the right time.
To bring this to life, our guiding principle is simple: digital where possible, human when needed.
The technology is the enabler, so that our frontline colleagues can use smarter tools to deliver sharper support. We’re putting routine work where it belongs, handled by computers, so Work Coaches can focus on what they do best: meaningful conversations, a genuine understanding of someone's strengths and barriers and the personal connections that turn support into progress.
For individuals
This means 24/7 support available on your smart phone; intelligent matching to jobs that fit your skills and schedule; and human expertise where it makes the difference. We want our support to feel connected, not fragmented, and for users to be able to have meaningful interactions, not get lost in a maze of pages and forms. It'll mean that when you switch channels, your context and story move with you, so you won't be starting from scratch.
For those individuals who already have a relationship with DWP and receive Universal Credit, the new service will support them to take their next steps closer to employment. It will allow DWP to understand the activities customers have carried out and the progress they've made. DWP will be able to see how customers are meeting the commitments agreed with their Work Coach.
For employers
Employers need to find the right people quickly. This service will make that easier, with smarter matching of people to jobs, verified skills data, and insight on local labour markets. Over time, it will reduce friction in recruiting, help businesses plan, and connect employers to a larger, more diverse pool of talent.
By removing routine burdens and providing clearer signals about skills and availability, we can help employers fill roles faster, retain talent longer, and invest where it counts. That’s good for productivity, good for individuals, and good for communities.
For local leaders
Our Wakefield pathfinder is testing different ways to deliver this new service. It is being designed in partnership with local leaders from West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Wakefield Local Authority, and we intend to use this approach with our different test and learn approaches. Our tests have covered a variety of areas – from how we provide learning and development to our colleagues to how we collaborate with local employers to support them fill their vacancies.
With careers and skills policy devolved in Wales and Scotland, and Northern Ireland having its own approach, we’re intending to understand how we can help create shared foundations that everyone can choose to build on and benefit from.
Our approach to making this a reality
We're embracing AI and technology, but it’s not the technology that matters, it’s the difference it makes. We will test first, measure what matters, stop what doesn’t work, and scale what does. That’s how you deliver transformation that sticks.
And we’re building with users – young people, graduates, over50s, disabled people, carers, and anyone navigating today’s changing world of work. We’re exploring how to use the data government already holds to tailor support to real lives, such as caring responsibilities and childcare needs, always with transparency and consent.
In December, we held a roundtable discussion with partners across technology, employment, and skills. The energy in the room was clear: transformation only works if it works for the people who use it, and that means collaboration from the start.
Over the coming months, we’ll share what we’re learning – about digital tools, AI powered conversations, and how we’re making the service inclusive and human. We’ll test, iterate, and improve, guided by the people who use the service and the colleagues who deliver it.
This is a journey we want to take with you. Tell us what would make employment support truly useful for you or your business. If you’re an employer, how can we support your growth? If you’re a local leader, tell us how this can fit your area’s reality. If you’re a Work Coach, tell us what would reclaim more time for the conversations that count.
Technology should never be a barrier, it should be a bridge. If we turn complexity into clarity and friction into momentum, we’re not just modernising services—we’re making them workfor everyone, every time.
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