Kaine Leads Congressional Effort to Expand Digital Skills in Workforce Training

A proposal to expand the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to fund digital-skills training, close the workforce skills gap, and better prepare Virginians and citizens nationwide for modern jobs is being reintroduced in Congress by one of Virginia’s federal lawmakers.

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., is leading the bipartisan proposal with support from U.S. Reps. Eugene Vindman, D-Woodbridge, and Republican David Valadao of California. Kaine told the Mercury on Tuesday that the Digital Skills for Today’s Workforce Act would boost access to essential tech skills for job seekers.

More than 90% of today’s jobs require digital skills, according to a report published by the National Skills Coalition and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, but more than a third of workers lack such skills, creating a challenge for employment.

“I think the workforce is the key ingredient to getting the American economy right, and if we do, we’re going to be fine, and if we don’t, we’re going to regret it, and this bill kind of fits into that space,” said Kaine.

On July 22, 2014, the WIOA was signed into law, shaping the nation’s public workforce development program and replacing the former Workforce Investment Act of 1998.

Stakeholders, including labor unions, workforce and education associations, and local and state governments, view the WIOA reauthorization as a critical tool for modernizing the workforce system. Some factors in labor market changes include evolving employer skill needs and demographic shifts.

Stakeholders are seeking local flexibility and governance over training, partnerships, and service delivery, increased and more targeted funding, stronger alignment with employers and industry needs, equitable access for underserved populations, and strengthened education and training pathways.

As part of the proposal, 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 systems.

“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,” Vindman said in a statement. “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.”

Targeted investments in digital skills training — such as data entry, email communication, and spreadsheet processing — would help Americans seeking jobs or upskilling opportunities, as well as those with barriers to employment, learn or build digital skills.

The Act would create digital skills training programs by awarding formula funding grants to states based on a combination of factors, including population, the number of working-age residents, and the number of residents with low digital literacy skills, as determined by educational attainment, earnings, and limited English proficiency.

The Act would also increase digital equity by creating competitive grants for localities and organizations and by requiring performance accountability for states, localities, and organizations that receive grants under this bill, requiring them to report their awards publicly.

“We’re not shying away from the equity issue,” Kaine said. “Increasing digital equity is one of the three purposes of this bill, and making sure that the allocation of funds looks at … individuals who traditionally have barriers to employment and historically underrepresented populations.”

Kaine said he expects the proposal to gain bipartisan support as the Senate prepares to take up reauthorizing the WIOA. He added that roughly a third of the proposal’s endorsements are from Virginia, including the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce, Greater Roanoke Workforce Development Board, and the Virginia Community College System.

“By including digital skills and related performance metrics as requirements for grants issued under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), this legislation would ensure that our workforce is being prepared for today’s and tomorrow’s jobs,” VCCS Chancellor David Doré said in a statement.

He added that “successful passage of this legislation will strengthen education and workforce development systems. In addition, business and industry employers will minimize turnover, and workers will be better prepared to achieve better jobs and greater economic success.”

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