POLITICO’s Morning Education newsletter today featured a letter sent to Congress by The Campaign to Invest in America’s Workforce – a coalition of 30 education, workforce, and national nonprofit groups organized by the National Skills Coalition. The letter outlines workforce policy recommendations to include in future coronavirus stimulus packages.
— “There is no question that the demand for reemployment, skilling and reskilling services will increase substantially during the COVID-19 crisis and its aftermath,” the groups wrote.
— Among other things, the groups are asking for an additional $1 billion in investments in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act’s Title II Adult Basic Education funding. The funds would be used for education and training for workers who the groups say will need literacy, numeracy and digital skills to succeed in the workforce. The groups said the pandemic has highlighted the speed of how adult education programs can shift to online and blended formats.
— “WIOA Title II funding is critical to states’ ability to serve the more than 36 million U.S. workers who have basic skills needs, as well as the 48 million who lack digital literacy skills,” the groups wrote. “Preparing workers with these skills today — and ensuring support for this training over the next program year — will be critical to addressing worker shortage in in-demand industries.”
