In the UK, the National Careers Service (NCS) provides information, advice and guidance to help individuals make decisions on learning, training and work opportunities. The service offers confidential, helpful and impartial advice, supported by qualified Careers Advisers. Their audience are often unemployed individuals, seeking guidance at vulnerable times in their lives.
The NCS relies on many self-service tools to meet the needs of the c.40 million people who use their services each year. One particular tool, the “Skills Health Check” assessment was aimed at a broad variety of UK users ranging from school leavers to the long-term unemployed. It was intended to be particularly empowering for these individuals, but very few people were benefiting from it. So, the NCS consulted Business Psychologists and digital experience specialists to optimise it.