The Adult Education WORKS Act 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 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 though 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.

Almost half of the adult education participants in WIOA funded programs are MLEs - strengthening and expanding these programs elevates MLEs and their families.

More information on the bill can be found here.