An AI-powered job coach has won a £120,000 prize awarded by the Department of Education and Nesta Challenges.

Bob, the AI job counsellor designed by open source technology firm Bayes Impact, and their research partner ACH will use the prize to continue to develop and grow their solution so that as many people as possible can benefit from the online coaching platform.

The prize has been awarded as part of the CareerTech Challenge Prize, part of a £5.75m initiative by Nesta and the Department for Education to scale up tech solutions that can benefit workers around the country.

With more than six million people in the UK employed in roles that are likely to change radically or disappear entirely by 2030, and the pandemic continuing to cause significant employment challenges, the aim is to increase the winning solution’s reach to particularly support lower earning workers most at risk of losing their jobs due to automation.

Bob uses AI to analyse information about people’s job search needs and the challenges they face, providing tailored, practical, and motivating advice to support them into work.

Acting as an impartial job counsellor, Bob helps users understand how their skills and job application techniques fit with those required by employers, giving them clear steps to secure relevant roles. Jobseekers can then receive ongoing digital coaching via email, text, and an app that delivers personalised motivational support.

Following an 18-month process with 20 innovators across the country, a panel of expert judges selected Bob as the tech tool with the greatest potential to support jobseekers into fulfilling work.

The online coaching platform has supported more than 250,000 people, with 80 per cent of its users reporting that Bob's advice is equally or more personalised compared to in-person coaching and 41 per cent reporting that Bob’s coaching was a key factor in finding a job.

Research suggests that 9 in 10 workers need to learn new skills or be retrained entirely over the next decade to adapt to changes caused by new technologies and a changing economy.

Gillian Keegan, minister for apprenticeships and skills, said: “The fantastic innovations from the CareerTech Challenge have already started helping adults across the country gain the skills and support they need to find sustainable work.

“This investment has unlocked cutting-edge technologies which are now more relevant than ever, given the changing job landscape. I’d like to congratulate the creators of the Artificial Intelligence platform Bob and thank all the participants for developing these bold new solutions to improve people’s lives and unlock new job opportunities.”

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