By: S.O.L.V.E.D.
On April 13, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education finalized a new Secretary’s Supplemental Priority on Advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education. If your first reaction was:
“Okay… but what does this have to do with me?”
or
“Isn’t adult ed and CTE under the Department of Labor now?”
You’re asking exactly the right questions. Let’s slow this down because I was quite confused when I saw this new Federal Register.
What this policy is (and what it isn’t)?
This Federal Register notice does not:
- Create a new AI grant
- Require programs to teach coding (a sigh of relief)
- Push AI tools into classrooms (well, some of us don’t want this, but AI isn’t going anywhere anytime soon…..so we might as well start preparing our learners to use it as a tool)
- Replace educators with technology (we know we can’t be replaced)
What it does do is establish an official federal priority that may be used in discretionary grant competitions going forward. That means when competitive grants are designed, reviewers may give preference to proposals that show thoughtful alignment with:
- AI literacy
- Professional development related to AI
- Preparing learners for AI impacted workplaces
Why are Adult Education and CTE part of this conversation?
AI is already reshaping the work our learners are preparing for. Think about:
- Manufacturing systems
- Healthcare documentation tools
- Construction technology
- Logistics platforms
- Customer service and administrative work
Learners don’t need to understand AI at a technical level. They do need to be able to use it confidently in environments where technology shapes how work gets done. That’s the readiness this policy seems to be pointing towards.
Wait a minute…..I thought Adult Education and CTE were moving to the Department of Labor?
What moved to the Department of Labor
Under the ED–DOL workforce partnership:
- WIOA Title II (Adult Education)
- Perkins V (CTE)
They are now administratively managed by the Department of Labor. DOL handles:
- Day‑to‑day program administration
- Performance and employment outcomes
- Workforce system coordination
What did not move
The Department of Education still:
- Sets education wide priorities and definitions
- Influences discretionary grants and national initiatives
- Shapes how “quality,” “readiness,” and “learning” are framed across systems
Think of it this way:
- DOL runs the engine
- ED still designs the roadmap
That means ED priorities still matter…….even if your primary funding now flows through the Department of Labor.
Why integration matters more than ever?
If you didn’t know, this priority sits alongside Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness. What does that mean? Federal policy is moving away from silos:
- Education or workforce
- Academic skills or employability
- Literacy or training
The expectation is integration. This is where Integrated Education and Training (IET) becomes even more important, not as a trend, but as a structure that satisfies both agencies:
- ED’s focus on instruction and learning quality
- DOL’s focus on employment outcomes
IET connects both by design.
What program leaders should focus on now?
You do not need an AI initiative. Ask:
- Does our instruction reflect today’s workplaces?
- Are educators supported in understanding industry changes?
- Can we clearly explain how our pathways prepare learners for what’s next?
- Are academic skills taught in context, not isolation?
Programs that can answer those questions are already aligned with this priority.
Adult education and CTE didn’t stop being education when the administration shifted to Labor. They entered a system where instruction has to stand up in the workforce. This AI priority isn’t a mandate; it’s a signal: Programs that integrate instruction with real-world work demands will be more defensible, more fundable, and more sustainable. That’s still where adult education meets workforce readiness.
