By: S.O.L.V.E.D.
What happened?
In November 2025, the U.S. Department of Education announced six new partnerships with four other federal departments. These agreements transfer the management of certain education and workforce programs to agencies that already oversee similar work, intending to reduce duplication and enhance coordination for learners and institutions.
Why does this matter to your learners?
The partnerships are intended to better connect education, workforce development, and related services across agencies. For adult learners, this could translate into clearer pathways from basic skills and ESL to postsecondary training and in‑demand jobs, depending on how states and local partners implement the changes.
What is changing behind the scenes?
The Postsecondary Education Partnership between the Departments of Education and Labor is one example of this shift. It focuses on aligning postsecondary education and workforce programs so that financial aid, training, and employment services are easier to navigate and less fragmented for students and providers.
For programs, this may eventually affect reporting structures, grant administration, and how guidance links adult education, CTE, and postsecondary training to regional workforce plans. The specific impact will depend on timelines, rule-making, and how states choose to organize responsibilities across agencies.
What could this mean for adult education and IET?
The federal materials highlight building a more coordinated postsecondary and workforce system and reference integrated approaches as one way to support adults entering higher‑demand sectors. While adult education and IET are not the only focus, programs that already connect instruction with occupational training and employer input may find their work aligns with these broader goals.
At the same time, changes in oversight or funding channels can bring questions about roles, expectations, and accountability. Adult education providers may want to monitor announcements from state agencies and workforce boards to understand how any realignment affects their programs, partnerships, and data needs.
What to look out for?
Several fact sheets and press releases emphasize high‑demand industries, measurable outcomes, and collaboration with employers and workforce systems. This emphasis is consistent with existing WIOA expectations and may show up in state plans, requests for proposals, and guidance around integrated education and training. For providers, key questions include:
How adult education is described in state workforce strategies
Which sectors are prioritized
Whether new or existing funds are linked to cross‑agency initiatives
What does this mean in your state?
Over the next year, state agencies and workforce boards may reference “coordinated postsecondary and workforce systems” as they respond to the federal partnerships. When these conversations occur, it can be helpful to note how adult education, IET, and related services are included (or not) in the materials, meetings, and planning documents.
Programs can prepare by having a clear, concise description of their current services, pathways, and partnerships ready to share with state and regional leaders. This does not assume any particular outcome; it simply positions adult education as a known and available part of the education to employment landscape.
Questions to guide your next steps
As details roll out at the state and local level, you might:
• Ask: Where do our current classes and IET offerings already connect to sectors identified as high‑demand in our region’s workforce plans?
• Review: How clearly do we show learners the steps from “classroom” to “credential” to “employment” in our advising materials and program maps?
• Plan: What existing or potential partnerships with workforce agencies, employers, community colleges, or community organizations could help learners see and follow those steps more easily?
How will your program use these new partnerships to move adult learners from class to career?
For additional details, visit: U.S. Department of Education, https://www.ed.gov/media/document/fact-sheet-department-of-education-ed-and-department-of-labor-dol-postsecondary-education-partnership-112464.pdf
