The Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act section 835 directs DAU to supplement training curricula to increase workforce literacy in key technological advancements and to allow them to effectively use these technologies. It is essential for DoD acquisition professionals to maintain their digital literacy to keep pace with the rapidly evolving technical landscape and to maintain our technological advantage over our adversaries.

In 2023, DAU submitted our plan to Congress to address this need. The plan consists of three levels of self-paced, asynchronous Online Training (OLT) providing a progression of learning. Our goal is to increase the digital literacy of workforce members across all functional areas and improve their ability to use the technology to identify, critically evaluate and synthesize data and information related to software and cybersecurity acquisitions.

The digital literacy basics curriculum is comprised of five courses that cover introductory level concepts in computer networking, cybersecurity, cloud computing, digital acquisition, best practices in software and cybersecurity, machine learning, artificial intelligence, distributed ledger technology and quantum computing. These modules include the ability to test through the material if a student has previous experience or knowledge.

In FY25, DAU will deploy the second level of training. This level involves hands-on interactive courses. As the learning director responsible for the NDAA supplemental training curricula, I am looking forward to sharing the ETM 3200 curriculum. In the meantime, the first level of training will provide an introductory level-setting to prepare students with limited or no experience with these technology areas.

The courses included in this training are:

Table 1: Digital Literacy Basics Curriculum (ETM 3100)

For more courses and resources, access the ETM playlist.