Colorado Center on Law and Policy

03/30/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/30/2026 14:42

“Don’t forget about adult education,” says Chaer Robert

"Don't forget about adult education," says Chaer Robert

by Chaer Robert| Mar 30, 2026

On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, Chaer Robert, Emeritus Advisor at CCLP, provided testimony on House Bill 26-1317, Unified Postsecondary Talent Development System. The bill would create a postsecondary talent development committee to merge the Department of Higher Education with workforce development programs.

Thank you Madame Chair and members of the committee.

My name is Chaer Robert and I am representing myself. I have worked on a number of Adult Education bills, which are K-12 level education, but for adults. My most profound realization in my first year of working on workforce issues was that those adults who most needed skills training were often ineligible because they lacked a high school diploma or had literacy or numeracy skills below a 9th grade level.

In 2014, Colorado became the last state to create an Adult Education and Literacy Program with HB14-1085. We anticipated the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) by funding Adult Education programs who partnered with post-secondary education and training programs and job placement organizations in workforce partnerships. Funded at less than $1,000,000 per year, this program has been the only ongoing source of state funding for Adult Education.

In 2020, SB20-009, Expand Adult Education Grant Program, expanded the eligibility to include partnerships between Adult Education and the K-12 system to serve adults working toward basic literacy and English fluency.

In 2023, SB23-007, Adult Education, increased annual funding to $3 million per year and permitted community colleges to grant high school diplomas directly. And we added digital literacy to the list of basic skills Adult Education programs could teach. About 91% of Colorado jobs definitely or likely require digital skills.[1]

HB26-1317 makes brief mention of Adult Education on page 10, line 20 as WIOA's Title II is the federal Adult Education program. Page 11, Line 6-11 mentions Adult Education including the state-funded program (both in the State Department of Education), but only to charge the Transition Committee to make recommendations about how the programs transition to the new Department. I understand Amendment L.001 may address this.

WIOA Title I Adult Programs offer individualized career services and training. Federal law[2] sets statutory priority groups:

  1. Recipients of public assistance
  2. Other low-income individuals (including those who are underemployed)
  3. Individuals who are basic skills-deficient

About nine percent of Coloradans aged 25 and older lack a high school degree.[3] Such learners, workers, and job seekers should have a voice on the transition committee to help design access to training and employment opportunities. As workers, they are locked out of 74%[4] of Colorado jobs. As adults, they often have a family to support, rather than a family that can financially support them through education and training. A system designed without an adequate way to bridge the gap between current employment, education and skills and the prerequisites for skills training, can leave this population behind.

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[1] https://nationalskillscoalition.org/resource/publications/closing-the-digital-skill-divide/

[2] https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/workforce-investment/adult

[3]Estimate from https://statisticalatlas.com/state/Colorado/Educational-Attainment accessed 3/20/2026.

[4] https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/17-cde-strategic_plan-nov28_0.pdf

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Colorado Center on Law and Policy published this content on March 30, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 30, 2026 at 20:42 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]