Young, Reed Reintroduce Bipartisan Adult Education WORKS Act to Strengthen and Expand Programs for Adult Learners
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) recently reintroduced the Adult Education Workforce Opportunity and Reskilling for Knowledge and Success Act (the Adult Education WORKS Act) to reauthorize adult education programs and expand upon the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
The latest results for U.S. adults on the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) show a troubling trend. Between 2017 and 2023 literacy and numeracy skills declined, with the percentage of adults at the lowest performance levels increasing from 19 to 28 percent in literacy and from 29 to 34 percent in numeracy.
A study commissioned by the Barbara Bush Foundation estimates that getting all American adults to the equivalent of a sixth-grade reading level would add $2.2 trillion to the country’s annual income. Without the opportunities provided by adult education programs — like numeracy, literacy, digital literacy, English language skills, soft skills, work readiness, high school equivalency, and other wraparound services — many adults will be left on the sidelines of an economy that needs more qualified workers in order to grow.
“It’s critical that all Hoosiers have the tools necessary to succeed in the modern economy – and that starts with strengthening adult education,” said Senator Young. “Our bipartisan bill would bolster critical services for adult learners, while also making important updates that ensure participants are prepared for the 21st century workforce.”
The Adult Education WORKS Act provides a roadmap for addressing this crisis by updating WIOA and by strengthening and expanding access to adult education services. Specifically, the legislation calls for nearly doubling the authorized funding for adult education by 2030 to $1.35 billion while making significant changes to the adult education system. Critical for achieving success in modern workplaces and for navigating everyday life, the bill calls for a new emphasis on digital and information literacy. Furthermore, the legislation will help to enhance the role of adult education providers by ensuring representation in the workforce planning process, with a focus on college and career navigators in public libraries and community-based organizations.
The bill also invests in the professionalization of the adult education field, strengthening state certification policies, encouraging full-time staffing models, and expanding professional development opportunities and career pathways for adult educators. Investments will enhance innovation and provide increased accountability through pilot projects that test new approaches to measuring program performance and outcomes for adult learners.
“Strengthening adult education programs is essential to growing our economy and ensuring business owners have enough qualified workers. Adult education is the ticket to a more prosperous and successful life,” said Senator Reed. “The Adult Education WORKS Act will help ensure that more Americans can access educational programs that will equip them with in-demand skills to take the opportunities that are available to them.”
The Adult Education WORKS Act would amend Title I and reauthorize Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which was signed into law on July 22, 2014. WIOA was designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy. Congress passed the Act with a wide bipartisan majority, and it was the first legislative reform of the public workforce system since 1998.
Companion legislation was reintroduced in the House of Representatives by Representatives Lucy McBath (D-GA-6) and Frank Mrvan (D-IN-1).
The legislation is supported by the Coalition for Adult Basic Education (COABE), American Library Association (ALA), National Coalition for Literacy (NCL), National Skills Coalition, ProLiteracy, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), TESOL International Association, and the Urban Libraries Council.
Statements of Support:
“Through investment and innovation, adult education is the solution to bridging the widening skills gap and ensuring American employers can fill open roles with qualified individuals. The bipartisan Adult Education WORKS Act would strengthen adult education and help equip millions of American adults with the literacy, numeracy, and digital and information literacy skills needed to secure in-demand jobs that provide family-sustaining wages. COABE is grateful for Senator Reed and Senator Young’s engagement with the adult education field to develop this bill and applauds them and Representative McBath for sponsoring it in the Senate and House of Representatives. COABE is proud to give its full support to the bipartisan Adult Education WORKS Act.” said Sharon Bonney, CEO of COABE.
“Adult learners and programs would greatly benefit from the changes proposed to WIOA in the Adult Education WORKS Act. This bipartisan bill acknowledges the need for increased investment in adult education and includes key provisions to enhance professional development for educators, promote integrated education and training concurrently with other adult education activities and services, ensure adults learners gain critical digital and information literacy skills, and foster stronger coordination between workforce and adult education programs. By addressing these barriers within the WIOA system, the Adult Education WORKS Act ensures adults have access to the skills and guidance needed to move on to college or a career pathway.” said Shaketta Thomas, President of COABE.
“Every day, library patrons turn to their local library for employment services and to make themselves more competitive in today’s job market. Librarians provide resources to the unemployed and underemployed to help their career goals become a reality” said ALA President Cindy Hohl. “The bipartisan Adult Education Workforce Opportunity and Reskilling for Knowledge and Success Act (Adult Education WORKS Act) will address workforce challenges by updating theWorkforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to strengthen and expand access to adult education services. ALA strongly endorses the Adult Education WORKS Act.”
“Adult Education is an essential lifeline for adults in the U.S. who lack sufficient foundational skills and are struggling to find meaningful employment and live productive, happy lives. The Adult Education WORKS Act will improve the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) by: promoting better coordination between the adult education and workforce development systems, increasing access to enhanced adult education services, and getting more of our lowest-skilled adults into education and training pathways. Simply put, the Adult Education WORKS Act will provide the necessary skills, expand the employment opportunities and improve the lives of millions of adults in the U.S., which will result in a more skilled workforce, a stronger economy and healthier communities across America,” said Jeffrey A. Fantine, Ph.D., Executive Director of the National Coalition for Literacy.
“TESOL International Association, on behalf of its members who proudly serve the English Language Teaching (ELT) profession, supports Senators Reed and Young’s Adult Education WORKS Act, as it strengthens and expands access to adult education services through WIOA for all adult learners, more than half of whom are multilingual learners of English seeking to better themselves, their communities, and their nation,”said Jeff Hutcheson, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy for TESOL.