March 24, 2026
Date: March 24, 2026
The U.S. Department of Labor today launched “Make America AI-Ready,” a free seven-day AI literacy course delivered entirely over text message. Users enroll by texting READY to 20202 and receive one lesson per day, roughly ten minutes each. The course was built with edtech company Arist and mirrors the DOL’s recently released AI Literacy Framework — five content areas covering AI principles, use cases, prompting, output evaluation, and responsible use. The initiative sits inside the federal America’s Talent Strategy and White House AI Action Plan stack, following August 2025 DOL guidance encouraging states and localities to deploy WIOA funds for AI skills training. For the Coachella Valley, the program is available to any worker with a phone — no internet access required. A follow-up brief is planned upon completion of the full seven-day course.
According to AICV, the DOL’s Make America AI-Ready course is now available to any Coachella Valley worker with a cell phone — no internet, no app, no cost. Regional workforce institutions including College of the Desert, which launched a $100,000 AI education initiative in October 2025, can reference this program as a baseline entry point for workers not yet enrolled in structured AI training. The DOL course is designed as a starting point, not a credential. A follow-up brief is planned upon completion of the full seven-day course.