“To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to establish a digital skills at work grant program.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section states the purpose of the Act to amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to promote digital equity by (1) building digital skills for current and incoming workers in in-demand industries to advance access to good jobs and fill 21st-century occupations through capacity-building in postsecondary education, adult education, and workforce development systems for digital skills training and design; and (2) fostering digitally resilient individuals and such systems.
This section establishes a Digital Skills at Work Grant Program in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Under the program, the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretaries of Education and Commerce, awards formula grants to states that submit approved applications to expand digital workplace skills—broad foundational, advanced, and applied technology skills for effective on-the-job technology use—for individuals seeking jobs and those with barriers to employment. Grant amounts are allocated as (1) 50% based on each state's relative population, (2) 25% based on working-age residents (ages 16-64), and (3) 25% based on individuals with indicators of low digital and information literacy skills (i.e., educational attainment of high school diploma or equivalent or less, earnings in the bottom two quintiles, or limited English proficiency); applications must describe grant uses and expenditure periods, budgets, state capability, and steps to support digitally resilient systems (i.e., adaptable education and workforce systems buffering against technological shifts). (As background, WIOA authorizes federal workforce development funding to states and localities for employment and training services, including rapid response to layoffs and customized job training.)