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Adds and defines “college and career navigators,” expands one‑stop workforce services to include public libraries, creates a common participant record system, and authorizes grants for library- and community-based navigator programs. It updates and expands definitions (including digital and information literacy) and strengthens performance, reporting, and evaluation requirements for adult education and workforce programs. Also revises the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act to clarify State and national leadership activities, create a process for up to five‑year pilot alternative performance systems (with a 90‑day Secretary review), require public reporting of matching funds, set some funding levels, and direct national evaluations and reporting by the Department of Education.
Adds a definition of “college and career navigator” as an individual with knowledge of workforce and postsecondary programs, financial aid, and case management techniques, and lists the navigator’s roles and responsibilities (gathering work history, providing tailored guidance and labor market information, helping identify training/education options including Federal student aid, facilitating access to services and co-enrollment, promoting job readiness, digital and information literacy, coordinating with employers and one-stop system, recruitment for adult education, intensive case management, career exploration, and related data collection).
Adds definitions for: (a) Concurrent enrollment (refers to section 203); (b) Digital literacy skills (meaning in section 203); (c) Information literacy skills (meaning in section 203); and (d) Foundational skill needs (for youth: English reading/writing/computing at or below 8th grade on a standard test; for youth or adult: inability to compute/solve problems or read/write/speak English at a level necessary to function on the job, in family, or in society).
Requires local boards to make publicly available information on board membership (including how composition requirements are met), including posting that information on the websites of each unit of general local government in the local area.
Requires local boards, in collaboration with providers of adult education and literacy activities, to promote the employment of college and career navigators by one-stop centers and eligible providers in the local area.
Requires State workforce development boards, in collaboration with providers of adult education and literacy activities, to promote the employment of college and career navigators by one-stop centers in the State.
Modifies the definitions section (section 3) by removing paragraph (5), redesignating and renumbering multiple paragraphs, and adding new defined terms including 'college and career navigator', 'concurrent enrollment', 'digital literacy skills', 'foundational skill needs', and 'information literacy skills'.
Amends provisions governing State workforce development boards by making minor insertion edits and adding a duty in subsection (d) that the board, in collaboration with providers of adult education and literacy activities, promote employment of college and career navigators by one-stop centers in the State.
Who is affected and how:
Adult learners: Likely the primary beneficiaries — navigators and expanded one-stop partnerships (including libraries) should improve access to education, training, digital-literacy support, and job services. Better tracking through shared records can improve continuity of services and measure outcomes.
Public libraries and community organizations: Libraries gain a formal role as one-stop partners and may receive grants to host navigators; this expands their service responsibilities and may require staff training, space allocation, and coordination with workforce systems.
Workforce development boards and State agencies: Must promote navigator use, incorporate libraries into service networks, implement or connect to a common participant record system, and meet enhanced reporting and performance requirements. Boards will need to coordinate pilots and comply with review timelines.
Adult education providers and educators: Face new definitions (digital and information literacy), updated performance measures, and additional reporting; they may gain more funding opportunities through navigator grants and pilot programs but also may take on administrative burdens for data and accountability.
Department of Education and federal oversight: Will administer grant programs, review pilot proposals within 90 days, run national evaluations, and collect expanded data — increasing federal program-management and evaluation workload.
Tradeoffs and risks:
Expand sections to see detailed analysis
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S2527-2528)
Introduced April 9, 2025 by John F. Reed · Last progress April 9, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S2527-2528)
Introduced in Senate