Department of Labor to take over daily administration of adult education programs from Department of Education
WASHINGTON D.C. – On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that it will be taking over day-to-day operations of all federal adult education and family literacy programs funded through Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and career and technical education programs funded by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act from the Department of Education.
The change was initiated by an Interagency Agreement between the two federal departments signed on May 21, 2025, and the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to issue an emergency stay of a lower court injunction in McMahon v. New York cleared the way for the implementation of the transfer.
"The goal of this IAA [Interagency Agreement] is to increase the national labor force participation rate and the postsecondary education attainment rate for populations who face barriers to participating in the labor force," explained the Department of Labor. "The agreement will facilitate integrated education and training programs with an employment first perspective, which places employers at the forefront of workforce development programs."
Under the new agreement, the Department of Labor will now administer all adult education programs funded by Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act as well as career and technical education programs funded by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act with oversight from the Department of Education.
Career and technical programs under the latest version of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act are annual appropriations made to states and adult education program funds issued under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act are dispensed to states on a three-year grant cycle.
According to the Department of Labor, the partnership is part of a coordinated effort by the Trump Administration to realign education programs into a coordinated workforce system consistent with Executive Order No. 14278 and the elimination of the Department of Education detailed in Executive Order No. 14242.
"Our bloated federal bureaucracy has made it increasingly difficult to administer workforce development programs effectively, and our students and workers have been left behind as a result. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are restructuring to meet the needs of our workforce," said Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. "I’m excited to team up with Secretary [of Education] McMahon as we work together to provide states with clearer guidance, reduced regulatory burdens, and more resources that are directly invested in opportunities for American workers."
