Digital Skills for Today’s Workforce Act

This bill amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to create a digital skills at work grant program. It establishes two types of grants: formula grants to states and competitive grants to eligible entities, both aimed at expanding digital workplace skills for job seekers and individuals with barriers to employment.

Sec. 3, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act amendments: This section adds a new section 172 to the Act, creating the Digital Skills at Work Grant Program. It defines key terms like digital equity, digital and information literacy skills, and digitally resilient. The Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Education and Commerce Secretaries, will award formula grants to states based on population, working-age residents, and residents with low digital skills. States must use these funds to award subgrants to eligible entities, prioritizing individuals with barriers to employment and ensuring geographic diversity. The Secretary will also award competitive grants to eligible entities to foster digital equity and resilient systems, requiring detailed applications covering curriculum, professional development, and data privacy. The Secretary may reserve up to 5% for technical assistance and 2-4% for program evaluation.

Sec. 3(b), Authorization of appropriations: This authorizes such sums as necessary for fiscal year 2026 and the four following years to carry out the new section 172.

Sec. 3(c), Digital and information literacy skills as training services: This adds training in digital and information literacy skills to the list of allowable training services under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

Sec. 3(d), Conforming amendment: This updates a cross-reference in another law to reflect the new section numbering.

Sec. 3(e), Table of contents: This updates the table of contents of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to include the new section 172.