Adult Education WORKS Act

This bill aims to strengthen adult education and job training. It updates federal adult education and workforce laws to add more help for adults building skills, earning a diploma, learning English, or finding better jobs. It adds “college and career navigators” to guide people to classes, training, and work, and lets public libraries and community groups host these services to reach more neighborhoods and hours . It authorizes grants for these navigator programs at $135 million per year from 2026 through 2030. The bill also puts a bigger focus on digital and information literacy and family literacy, and uses more inclusive language like “learning differences” . It authorizes more funding for adult education overall, rising from $810 million in 2026 to $1.35 billion in 2030.

The bill updates how results are tracked and shared. It revises performance measures, allows states to use interim measures for adult education, and creates one common reporting system across Labor and Education. States can pilot new ways to measure success for up to five years, with federal evaluations and public sharing of what works. It also requires state agencies to post information online about matching (non-federal) funds and makes local workforce boards publish who serves on them, improving transparency . States are encouraged to professionalize the adult education workforce with stronger teacher credentials, ongoing training, and more full‑time roles.

Key points

• Who is affected: Adult learners, job seekers, English learners, library users, adult education teachers, local job centers, and community organizations .
• What changes: More guidance through navigators; services available at public libraries; added focus on digital/info literacy and family literacy; clearer reporting and new pilot options for measuring results; public transparency for funds and board membership; support to professionalize adult ed staff .
• When: Navigator grants are authorized for 2026–2030, and adult education program funding is authorized to rise each year from 2026 to 2030 .