TEGL 03-25 (Accessible PDF)001.pdf

ETA Advisory File Text

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION ADVISORY SYSTEM U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Washington D.C. 20210 CLASSIFICATION WIOA CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL OWI DATE August 26 2025 RESCISSIONS None EXPIRATION DATEContinuing ADVISORY TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 03-25 TO STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES STATE WORKFORCE ADMINISTRATORS STATE WORKFORCE LIAISONS STATE AND LOCAL WORKFORCE BOARD CHAIRS AND DIRECTORS LABOR COMMISSIONERS AMERICAN JOB CENTERS FROM LORI FRAZIER BEARDEN s Acting Assistant Secretary SUBJECT Encouraging the Use of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Funding to Help Youth and Adults Develop Artificial Intelligence Skills 1.Purpose. To encourage the state and local workforce development systems to use Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act WIOA funding to help youth and adults develop artificial intelligence AI skills. 2.Action Requested. State and local workforce development boards are encouraged to use WIOA Title I Youth Adult and Dislocated Worker programs to help participants develop AI skills by providing AI literacy training looking for opportunities to integrate AI learning into relevant programs partnering with other organizations and funding sources to provide participants with AI skills and creating AI skills development programs. 3.Summary and Background. a.Summary This TEGL presents ways for the public workforce system to provide youth and adults with AI skills that will enable them to access career pathways in an AI-driven economy. b.Background On April 23 2025 President Trump issued Executive Order 14277 Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth. As articulated in the Executive Order AI is rapidly transforming the modern world driving innovation across industries enhancing productivity and reshaping the way we live and work. To ensure the United States remains a global leader in this technological revolution the Nation s youth and adults need opportunities to cultivate the skills necessary to use and create the next generation of AI technology. By fostering AI competency students will be equipped with the foundational skills to adapt to and thrive in an increasingly digital society. Early learning and exposure to AI concepts not only demystifies this powerful 2 technology but also sparks curiosity and creativity preparing students to become active and responsible participants in the workforce of the future and nurturing the next generation of American AI innovators. 4. Building AI Literacy through the Public Workforce System. a. Overview Supporting AI education and training is authorized by multiple sections of WIOA. Section 101 of WIOA authorizes state workforce development boards to use WIOA funding to support digital literacy efforts which can include education and training on AI. Additionally Section 107 states that local boards shall identify strategies for better meeting the needs of individuals with barriers to employment including strategies that augment traditional service delivery and increase access to services and programs of the one-stop delivery system such as improving digital literacy skills. Jobs in almost every industry are increasingly requiring workers to have digital literacy and AI skills. While many youth are considered digital natives or people who have grown up with technology and the internet it is important to ensure that young people as well as adults have the digital skills and AI literacy needed to successfully enter and remain in the workforce. b. Using WIOA Youth Program to Support AI Education and Training The Employment and Training Administration ETA encourages WIOA Youth programs in partnership with participants to determine which AI skill-building opportunities might be appropriate for each participant s existing digital skill level and future employment goals in order to integrate digital literacy training and AI skills development into the youth s Individual Service Strategy. WIOA Section 129 c 2 requires 14 program elements to be included in local areas youth programs and AI education and training fit within several of the 14 program elements. Specifically when providing general education on using AI this service would fall within the activities that help youth prepare for and transition to postsecondary education and training program element. When providing career awareness about potential careers in AI or information on how AI is used in certain industries and occupations this service would fall within the services that provide labor market information program element. And when youth receive occupational skills training in AI this service would fall within the occupational skills training program element. Finally WIOA prioritizes the work experience program element with a minimum expenditure requirement that 20 percent of local area youth funds must be spent on work experience. In order to increase exposure to and skill development in AI ETA encourages local areas to identify work experience opportunities in AI-related occupations as well as occupations that may incorporate AI into the job. c. Using the WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs to Support AI Education and Training ETA encourages states and local boards to leverage career and training services provided through the WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker programs to support AI education and training for eligible participants. 3 Individualized career services include short-term pre-vocational services and workforce preparation activities. Short-term pre-vocational services include the development of learning skills. Workforce preparation activities include activities programs and services that can support building digital literacy skills. Both categories of individualized career services can support AI literacy and digital skill-building for participants whose ability to obtain and retain employment would benefit from such skills. Training services can also support AI education and training. Eligible participants may utilize training programs that support AI literacy that are already available through the Eligible Training Provider List ETPL . Since AI training programs are being continuously developed quality AI training opportunities such as work-based learning or programs that lead to industry-recognized credentials may exist outside of the ETPL. In these cases local boards may consider contracting training services from institutions of higher education or other eligible providers to provide participants with innovative training opportunities to develop AI skills for in-demand industry sectors and occupations. d. Using the Governor s Reserve States may reserve up to 15 percent of their annual Youth Adult and Dislocated Worker program allotments to carry out both required and allowable statewide youth activities and statewide employment and training activities. Allowable statewide youth activities under WIOA Section 129 b 2 include demonstration projects related to meeting the education and employment needs of eligible youth. Other allowable statewide employment and training activities listed at Section 134 a 3 include developing and implementing innovative programs and strategies designed to meet the needs of all employers including small employers in the State. Demonstration projects and innovative programs related to integrating digital literacy including AI education and training into WIOA Youth Adult and Dislocated Worker programming are allowable as a use of Governor s Reserve funds and can help the workforce system learn from and scale AI education and training into broader WIOA Title I programs. e. Components of AI Literacy ETA recommends that States and local areas consider AI education and training opportunities for participants that incorporate a range of foundational content areas of AI literacy and utilize effective delivery practices. Foundational content areas of AI literacy include concepts such as understanding the basics about how AI works exploring AI uses prompting AI effectively evaluating AI outputs and managing AI responsibly through safe and secure usage. Responsible AI methods should include appropriate cybersecurity practices. Learners should understand AI s core concepts capabilities and limitations explore different AI tools and how they can complement human expertise understand how to provide the right context to AI assess AI-generated results for accuracy completeness and relevance and use AI in 4 ethical and secure ways. Learners should understand their accountability for the information they put into AI and how they utilize AI outputs. Effective delivery of AI literacy activities may include hands-on contextualized learning and opportunities that support progression along career pathways from foundational to more advanced specialized AI skills. AI training opportunities may also address complementary skills and prerequisites to AI literacy such as digital literacy digital resilience information literacy and broadband access. f. Competency Model Clearinghouse The Department s Competency Model Clearinghouse provides competency models that describe the skills necessary to educate and train a globally competitive workforce. The Clearinghouse provides dynamic models of the foundational and technical competencies for economically vital industries and sectors of the American economy as well as a broadly applicable model of competencies called the Building Blocks Model. The Building Blocks Model can be used to communicate fundamental workforce needs as the basis for nationwide Industry Competency Models or custom competency models. The Tier 2 Academic Competencies Basic Computer Skills competency block of the Building Blocks Model reflects changes in workplace technology and the growing importance and scope of digital skills. The revised and expanded competencies include the ability to i. Demonstrate resilience in adapting to changing digital technology. ii. Problem solve and navigate digital transformations. iii. Assess the provenance of content provided by third parties that may have been generated or modified by artificial intelligence tools. iv. Examine thoroughly any content produced by generative AI interfaces for conformity to Federal law organizational policies and professional norms regarding accuracy validity reproducibility or reliability of information. v. Use appropriate prompting techniques to generate needed content from generative AI interfaces. vi. Use appropriate prompting techniques to generate or debug software code using generative AI interfaces. vii. Adhere to Federal law and organizational policies regarding appropriate uses of generative AI interfaces including creation and distribution of AI generated content. The Department recently updated the Basic Computer Skills competency block recognizing the increasing demand by employers for digital literacy and basic computer skills. g. Resources To provide resources for K-12 AI education the White House Task Force on AI Education is establishing public-private partnerships with leading AI industries academic institutions nonprofit entities and other organizations to provide online resources fostering foundational AI literacy and critical thinking skills for America s youth. Information about these resources will be available on AI.gov. 5 The U.S. National Science Foundation NSF has invested in AI research since the early 1960s setting the technical and conceptual foundations driving today s AI innovations. Through its investments in education and workforce preparation NSF has supported the development of various resources to support AI literacy including on how to teach learn and use AI. Visit NSF s website to explore their resources on AI. 5. Inquiries. Please direct inquiries to the appropriate Regional Office. 6. References. Executive Order 14277 Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Pub. L. 113-128 . 7. Attachment s . N A