Adult Education Business Partners — we need your voice now more than ever.

Here’s what’s happening:

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is currently withholding federal funding for adult education even though these funds were fully approved by Congress for Fiscal Year 2025. This includes the Adult Education Basic Grants and Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) programs, which serve over a million adults every year. Without these funds, programs across the country may face class delays, staff layoffs, and even closures.

Adult Education is a workforce partner and we will not be able to help you find skilled workers to fill your vacancies.

Make your voice heard!

Please send an easy, short email to your representatives, which will take less than one minute to complete. Here are the steps:

  • Copy the email text below, which begins with, “I am writing to discuss an important issue for my business….”
  • Go to this link: Go to Release FY26 Funding for Adult Education
  • Complete the name and address fields
  • At the bottom, look for the white box with text that begins with, “As a constituent and member of COABE…”
  • Delete that text and paste the letter from this page. That will replace the previous text with your business letter asking for workforce help from adult education.
  • If you have any questions or need help, please email Lisa Parrish, VAACE executive director, at executivedirector@vaace.org or call 443-223-2216.
  • Thank you in advance for your support!

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I am writing to discuss an important issue for my business: finding skilled workers to fill vacancies. My business’ success depends on meeting customer demands and I cannot do that if I don’t have enough people to do the work.

Finding skilled workers is difficult. Did you realize that 43 million adults in the U.S. struggle with basic reading, math, or digital literacy? These adults could fill valuable job openings with additional education and upskilling. I view adult education as a key workforce development partner.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is currently withholding federal funding for adult education even though these funds were fully approved by Congress for Fiscal Year 2025. This includes the Adult Education Basic Grants and Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) programs, which serve over a million adults every year.

The funding is delayed and already programs cannot operate. Classes have been canceled. Teachers are being laid off. Adults trying to improve their lives and contribute more fully to the workforce are being cut off from the opportunity they’ve committed to pursuing. Communities are losing essential services, and employers – like me – are losing a valuable pipeline of skilled workers.

In your legislative role, I ask you to contact OMB Director Russell Vought and urge him to release FY25 funding immediately.

I will leave you with this statistic that surprised me: By 2031, 4.7 million job openings will be available for workers with a high school diploma compared to only 1.3 million job openings for those with less than a high school diploma. We need more educated workers in the workforce and adult education can provide that service. This is a service businesses simply cannot lose.