EDA launches innovative AI Upskill Accelerator Pilot Program

This Administration recognized the importance of winning the global AI race through America's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan. American workers are critical to securing America's leadership in AI. That's why the Administration directed the Department of Commerce, through the Economic Development Administration (EDA), to pilot new programs addressing AI's impact on workforce skills. To that end, EDA has launched the new AI Upskill Accelerator Pilot Program. This innovative effort will support hard-working Americans as they prepare for a future shaped by AI.

For decades, EDA has focused on spurring economic growth and job creation in some of the nation's most distressed communities. From assisting coal communities to aiding regional recovery following natural disasters, EDA investments have helped communities respond to economic shocks and strengthened their local economies. In this instance, we have the opportunity to ensure we are helping American workers across all communities improve their skills as industries adopt AI.

In addition to focusing on broad economic recovery, EDA's investment portfolio also includes initiatives that prepare communities for the future. For example, the Tech Hubs program fosters technological innovation and supports the commercialization of technologies critical to America's economic and national security. EDA's AI Upskill Accelerator Pilot Program will support America's AI dominance by ensuring that the workforce is well-equipped with the skills to use AI as productively and effectively as possible, positioning workers for career success now and in the future.

The time to act is now. Businesses of all sizes and sectors are integrating AI technologies into their workflows, and employees are increasingly utilizing AI on the job. According to the United States Census Bureau's Business Trends and Outlook Survey AI Supplement, as firms are expanding their use of AI, the most prominent adjustment they are making is to train current staff to use AI, giving incumbent workers the opportunity to contribute instead of looking to hire new employees with AI skills. However, recently-published data from the United States Census Bureau's Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey found that just 23% of respondents felt prepared to use AI at work. Not all workers will be able to independently discover how to effectively use AI tools, and helping people bridge that gap will be critical.

The AI Upskill Accelerator Pilot Program will take a disciplined, intentional approach to addressing current workforce training needs. Drawing on EDA's proven sectoral partnership approach to workforce development, this funding opportunity invites industry and training providers to identify real-world AI use cases and collaboratively design and implement programs that build in-demand AI skills in areas where AI can best help workers.

Strong projects will be employer-driven and offer training in high-demand AI skills. EDA is looking for training and employer partners that are ready to leverage their respective expertise to better understand where and how AI can best help workers on the job and support business outcomes. These partnerships will design and deliver trainings that give businesses confidence in their workers' abilities to perform with AI.

This funding opportunity is not prescriptive. We encourage project proposals across a wide range of application leads, sectors, industries, jobs, and training approaches. We are also looking for use cases that go beyond basic AI literacy and use of large language models, and instead seek projects that will identify how AI can be put to best use. This funding opportunity provides a runway for applicants to develop innovative models that are responsive to their specific industry and local needs.

We will prioritize learning from projects that deliver results. The applications submitted to EDA during this competitive process will help us to better understand AI's potential to uplift workers and the type of support necessary to effectively integrate AI skills into workforce training. In addition, the portfolio of five to eight selected projects will inform bold strategies to support American workers in adapting to a future with AI. This funding opportunity asks applicants to detail realistic but ambitious project outcomes. EDA will track and monitor training metrics, such as program completions and job placements, and leverage our existing partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau to evaluate this program's impact on job retention and wages. In partnership with the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Center for AI Standards and Innovation, EDA's program will help inform our collective understanding of how AI workforce training can improve outcomes like productivity and efficiency.

We want to support you in developing strong project proposals. Applicants may access the funding opportunity on EDA's application portal, and additional resources such as dates, webinar access information, and recordings can be found on the EDA website. EDA is offering support for prospective applicants through a suite of technical assistance sessions. These sessions are intended to help applicants understand the funding opportunity requirements and aid in building strong applications.

America continues to outpace the world in innovations, and the age of AI will be no different. EDA looks forward to reviewing impactful projects that support the American worker in an evolving economy.