WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) joined Congressman Eugene Vindman (VA-07) and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) to reintroduce the Digital Skills for Today’s Workforce Act. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would help provide American workers with foundational digital skills through the creation of a new “Digital Skills at Work” grant program.

“Our job market is changing rapidly, and workers need strong digital skills to keep up,” said Congressman Valadao. “The Digital Skills for Today’s Workforce Act will help people enter the workforce with the foundation they need while easing burdens on employers. I’m proud to join Senator Kaine and Congressman Vindman in reintroducing this bipartisan, bicameral bill that will set American workers on a path to success and strengthen our economy.”

“Virginia is a place where anyone willing to work hard should be able to land their first job, keep a job they love, or build their first company. The jobs of today require new skills that can be mastered with the right training, helping employers retain seasoned workers and attract top talent,” said Congressman Vindman. “I’m proud to introduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation that helps Virginians and people across the country build digital skills that are essential in today’s economy.” 

“As Americans face a rapidly-changing job market, it’s crucial they be empowered with the digital skills they need to succeed in the contemporary workforce,” said Senator Kaine. “I’m proud to introduce this legislation to expand access to high-quality digital training programs to help people develop in-demand digital skills—benefiting our workers, employers, and economic growth. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join us in supporting this bill.”

Supporting organizations include: National Skills Coalition, American Library Association, Asc3, California EDGE Coalition, Coalition on Adult Basic Education, DAETC, Digitunity, Forum for Youth Investment, Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce, Greater Roanoke Workforce Development Board, Hispanic Federation, Jobs for the Future, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Mohuman, National Coalition for Literacy, National Collaborative for Transformative Youth Policy, National Digital Inclusion Alliance, National Immigration Forum, National Skills Coalition, Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce, Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, NTEN, Prince William Chamber of Commerce, Third Way, Virginia Community College System, and Virginia Minority Chambers, Inc.

The Digital Skills for Today's Workforce Act would:

• Create digital skills training programs.
• This bill would create formula funding grants for states based on a combination of population, number of working-age residents, and number of residents with low digital literacy skills (determined by educational attainment, earnings, and limited English proficiency).
• Increase opportunities for underserved communities.
• This bill would create competitive grants for localities and organizations based on how the funds will be used and the populations that will receive services, including individuals with barriers to employment and underrepresented populations.
• Require performance accountability.
• This bill would require states, localities, and organizations that receive a grant under this bill to report their awards publicly.

Background:

More than 90 percent of today’s jobs require digital skills like email, spreadsheets, and data entry, but more than one-third of workers lack foundational digital skills. This poses a huge obstacle to succeeding in today’s workforce. Existing programs to help job-seekers access employment and support services under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) are not permitted to use federal resources for digital skills training. As a result, one-stop workforce development career centers—physical sites within local workforce development areas where job seekers and employers access programs, services, and resources—do not offer any digital skills training opportunities.

To fix this omission, the Digital Skills for Today’s Workforce Act would amend WIOA to establish a new “Digital Skills at Work” grant program to expand digital skills training within postsecondary education, adult education, and workforce development issues. This bill would make targeted investments in digital skills training to help Americans seeking jobs or upskilling opportunities, as well as those with barriers to employment, learn, or build digital skills.

Read the full bill here.

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