[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 111 (Tuesday, July 30, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6077-S6078]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself and Mr. Brown):
  S. 1400. A bill to increase access to adult education to provide for 
economic growth; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, our economy will not work for individuals or 
for our nation unless we create and support avenues for adults to 
continue their education and build their skills. These are longstanding 
issues that I

[[Page S6078]]

have worked on for many years, including the last attempt to 
reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act. I was pleased to work with 
Senator Webb in the 112th Congress on the Adult Education and Economic 
Growth Act, and I am proud to reintroduce it today with Senator Brown. 
I thank Congressman Ruben Hinojosa for introducing the companion 
legislation in the House of Representatives.
  The Adult Education and Economic Growth Act increases the investment 
in adult education programs; ensures better coordination among adult 
education programs, workforce development programs, and higher 
education; strengthens professional development for adult education 
providers; expands the use of technology in adult education programs; 
and provides incentives for employers to support their workers who need 
adult education services.
  In Rhode Island, roughly 41 percent of working age adults have a 
college degree. By 2018, it is estimated that 61 percent of Rhode 
Island jobs will require some postsecondary education. We have an 
estimated 91,000 individuals without a high school diploma--the basic 
ticket to accessing postsecondary education and training.
  Nationally, the numbers make a similar case for the need to invest in 
adult education. According to the National Commission on Adult 
Literacy, 80 to 90 million U.S. adults today, about half of the adult 
workforce, do not have the basic education and communication skills 
required to obtain jobs that pay a family-sustaining wage. These 
individuals continue to struggle in the recovering economy, with 
unemployment rates above 10 percent for individuals who do not have a 
high school diploma, compared to 7.6 percent for high school graduates 
and less than 4 percent for workers with bachelor's degrees.
  Simply put, we will not be able to close the skills gap without a 
robust investment in adult education. Unfortunately, we have not been 
making this kind of investment. Funding has been anemic, and as a 
result, services reach fewer than 3 million adults annually--a fraction 
of the need.
  The Adult Education and Economic Growth will help turn around this 
dire situation by increasing the authorization for adult education 
programs authorized under Title II of the Workforce Investment Act to 
$850 million and establishing a new state technology grant for adult 
education to upgrade the delivery system and assist adults in attaining 
critical digital literacy skills. This legislation requires state and 
local workforce investment boards to address adult education in their 
plans for using funds authorized under Title I of the Workforce 
Investment Act, including incorporating adult education into career 
pathways programs and offering integrated education and training 
programs. It also strengthens programs and services for English 
learners, including authorizing the Integrated English Literacy and 
Civics Program, and for adults with disabilities. The legislation will 
also build the knowledge base on what works for adult learners through 
a National Center for Adult Education, Literacy, and Workplace Skills. 
Finally, the Adult Education and Economic Growth Act will provide 
employers with tax incentives to invest in developing the basic skills 
of their employees.
  In sum, the Adult Education and Economic Growth Act offers a 
comprehensive approach to reaching the millions of adults who need 
basic skills, English literacy instruction, or a secondary school 
diploma so that they can embark on a career pathway that leads to 
economic stability and success. I am pleased to have worked with the 
National Commission on Adult Literacy in developing this legislation. I 
urge my colleagues to cosponsor this bill and work with me to include 
its provisions in the pending reauthorization of the Workforce 
Investment Act.

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