Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-6), Rep. Frank Mrvan (IN-1), Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), and Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) re-introduced the Adult Education Workforce Opportunity and Reskilling for Knowledge and Success (WORKS) Act. At current funding levels, adult education programs serve about 1.1 million people, while there are 43 million adults who stand to benefit from literacy programs and 62.7 million in need of numeracy programs. This bipartisan bill would support American workers and expand economic opportunity and mobility for millions by investing in adult education. Large portions of this bill have previously been incorporated in the bipartisan agreement to update the federal workforce system, known as the Stronger Workforce for America Act.

“With so many adults at low literacy and numeracy rates, it is crucial that we provide them an option to gain the skills they need to succeed,” said Rep. McBath. “No adult or family should be left on the sidelines, and the expertise available through these programs often mean the difference between a job that supports a family and struggling to make ends meet. The Adult Education WORKS Act will ensure that essential skills will be taught to adult learners nationwide. I thank my colleagues for their support on this bipartisan bill.”  

Rep. Mrvan stated, “I am proud to join Congresswoman McBath and our Senate colleagues in introducing this legislation to expand educational opportunities for adults and improve the ability of all individuals to reach their academic goals.  Let us continue working together in a bicameral and bipartisan fashion to enhance educational and economic opportunities for everyone in our communities.”                                                                                                                                      

The Adult Education WORKS Act will update the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to strengthen and expand access to adult education services. Specifically, the legislation will:

• Increase the authorized funding for adult education by 2029 to $1.35 billion.
• Ensure that adult education providers are represented on workforce and other boards and are part of the workforce planning process.
• Support the professionalization of the adult education field by strengthening state certification policies, encouraging full-time staffing models, and expanding professional development opportunities and career pathways for adult educators.
• Incorporate digital and information literacy into adult education and workforce development programs.
• Provide support for college and career navigators at public libraries and community-based organizations.
• Strengthen coordination and leverage resources between adult education and workforce development programs.
• Expand the role of public libraries in the one-stop delivery system for workforce development.
• Encourage innovation through pilot projects to test new approaches to measuring performance and ensure WIOA performance metrics capture the full range of skills gains supported by adult education programs.
• Promote the provision of integrated education and training concurrently with other adult education activities and services.

The legislation is supported by the American Library Association, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Coalition for Adult Basic Education, National Coalition for Literacy, National Skills Coalition, ProLiteracy, TESOL International Association, and the Urban Libraries Council.