20,000 CVs and 16,000 conversations: the free job tools most people haven't heard of
What happened
On 25 September 2026, the government published figures on how its free digital employment tools are being used. Around 20,000 people have used the Work Hub CV builder since it launched in June. A further 16,000 have used the AI Work Assistant. The Work Hub is a free online platform. It does four main things: helps you build a CV, helps you search for jobs, helps you prepare for interviews, and points you towards training opportunities. Built into it is an AI Work Assistant, which gives personalised guidance on job applications and career development. It also works from the employer side, letting businesses advertise vacancies and connect with people looking for work locally. Lilian Greenwood MP, the minister quoted in the announcement, said: "The world of work is changing, so the support we provide must change with it, and the Work Hub is innovation at its finest." The announcement also carried comments from people using it. A jobseeker named Hugh said: "Upon using the CV builder I saw the response I received increase significantly." Lance, a work coach in Bognor Regis, described the AI Work Assistant as "a valuable tool that complements the support we already provide". Shazia Ejaz, director of campaigns at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, said: "Embracing technology within safeguards is the right approach to get more people into work and to grow the economy."
Why this matters
Job hunting has become unusually hard to do well, and not because people have got worse at it. Most applications now go through automated systems first. A CV that a human would read happily can be filtered out before anyone sees it, because of formatting, missing keywords, or a layout the software cannot parse. Very few people are ever told this is why they heard nothing. At the same time, the advice available is mostly commercial. Search for CV help and you will find paid services charging real money for something that is often a template and an hour of someone's time. So a free, government-run tool that helps with exactly this fills a genuine gap - if people know it exists. Twenty thousand users since June is a reasonable start, but in a country where hundreds of thousands are looking for work at any time, it is a small fraction. There is a second reason this matters, which is about who gets help. If you are claiming benefits, you will see a work coach and get support. If you are not claiming - because you have savings, or a partner working, or you are just trying to change career - you often get nothing at all. A free open tool is available to everyone, regardless of circumstances. It is also worth noticing what the quotes from the announcement say about how the AI is meant to work. The work coach described it as complementing the support already provided, not replacing it. That is the sensible framing.
What the evidence actually says
These are usage figures, and usage figures are the easiest kind of number to over-read. 20,000 people using the CV builder means 20,000 people opened it and used it. It does not mean 20,000 people got jobs. The announcement does not claim that, and neither should anyone else. The quotes from users are real but selected. A press release will always feature the person who says the tool worked. That is not dishonest, but it is not evidence of how well it works on average. What would tell us more is outcome data - what proportion of users found work, how quickly, and how that compares with people who did not use it. That data does not exist yet, which is normal for a tool launched in June. On the AI element specifically, a reasonable note of caution. AI writing assistants are genuinely useful for structure, for getting past a blank page, and for spotting what you have left out. They are less good at knowing what is true about you. An AI-polished CV that overstates your experience will be found out at interview, which is worse than never getting the interview. The REC comment - "embracing technology within safeguards" - is doing quiet work there. Safeguards matter because these tools are being used by people in vulnerable positions. What can be said fairly: the tools exist, they are free, they are government-run, and a meaningful number of people have started using them. Whether they move the needle on employment is not yet known.
Practical advice
If you are looking for work, or helping someone who is, here is how to use this well. The Work Hub is free and open. You do not need to be claiming benefits and you do not need an appointment. Search for "Work Hub" on GOV.UK to find it. Use the CV builder for structure, then make it yours. The most common mistake is sending the same CV everywhere. Tailor it to each job by picking up the words the advert itself uses - that is what gets past automated filtering, and it is also what a human reader is looking for. Keep it to two pages. Put your most recent and most relevant experience first. Include actual results where you can - "reduced waiting times by a third" beats "responsible for waiting times". Use the AI Work Assistant to prepare rather than to pretend. Ask it to help you think through how to describe a gap in your CV, or what questions to expect for a particular role. Do not let it invent achievements you do not have. Do not pay for a CV service before you have tried the free one. Some are good. Many charge £100 or more for something this does at no cost. If you have been out of work for a while, look at the training links too. Free courses in digital skills, English and maths are widely available, and a recent course on a CV helps explain a gap. And if you are 50 or over and finding it hard, ask your local Jobcentre about the specific support for older workers. It exists and is badly under-used.
What to know
The government announced on 25 September 2026 that around 20,000 people have used its free Work Hub CV builder since June, and 16,000 have used the AI Work Assistant. The Work Hub is a free platform for CV building, job searching, interview preparation and finding training, available to anyone - whether or not you are claiming benefits. Employers can also use it to advertise vacancies locally. These are usage figures, not outcome figures. Nobody yet knows how many users found work as a result. Still, if you are job hunting, this is free, it is official, and it is worth twenty minutes before you pay anyone for the same thing. Tailor your CV to each advert, keep it to two pages, and use the AI to prepare rather than to embellish. Sources: Department for Work and Pensions, 'Government's digital employment tools help thousands take the next step into work', GOV.UK, 25 September 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/governments-digital-employment-tools-help-thousands-take-the-next-step-into-work; GOV.UK, Work Hub, https://www.gov.uk/; Recruitment and Employment Confederation, https://www.rec.uk.com/ This article is for general information about jobs and skills and does not replace personalised careers, financial or benefits advice.
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