diff --git a/.github/workflows/cpu-inference.yml b/.github/workflows/cpu-inference.yml
index d91034270eec..fc0dac5de9a2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cpu-inference.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cpu-inference.yml
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ jobs:
   unit-tests:
     runs-on: [self-hosted, cpu]
 
+    env: {ACTIONS_ALLOW_USE_UNSECURE_NODE_VERSION: true} # Allow using Node16 actions
+
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nv-lightning-v100.yml b/.github/workflows/nv-lightning-v100.yml
index 8a385fa532b9..6af228f7fb2f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nv-lightning-v100.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nv-lightning-v100.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ jobs:
   unit-tests:
     runs-on: [self-hosted, nvidia, cu111, v100]
 
+    env: {ACTIONS_ALLOW_USE_UNSECURE_NODE_VERSION: true} # Allow using Node16 actions
+
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nv-torch110-p40.yml b/.github/workflows/nv-torch110-p40.yml
index 5e6df67d8761..ed639aeb3b62 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nv-torch110-p40.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nv-torch110-p40.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ jobs:
   unit-tests:
     runs-on: [self-hosted, nvidia, cu111, p40]
 
+    env: {ACTIONS_ALLOW_USE_UNSECURE_NODE_VERSION: true} # Allow using Node16 actions
+
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nv-torch110-v100.yml b/.github/workflows/nv-torch110-v100.yml
index 406b43c154d8..4b9f278448ab 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nv-torch110-v100.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nv-torch110-v100.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ jobs:
   unit-tests:
     runs-on: [self-hosted, nvidia, cu111, v100]
 
+    env: {ACTIONS_ALLOW_USE_UNSECURE_NODE_VERSION: true} # Allow using Node16 actions
+
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/python.yml b/.github/workflows/python.yml
index 6883de4885c6..ba8a79f63469 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ jobs:
   unit-tests:
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        pyVersion: ["3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10"]
+        pyVersion: ["3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10"]
       fail-fast: false
 
     runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ jobs:
       image: deepspeed/gh-builder:py${{ matrix.pyVersion }}
 
     steps:
-        - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
         - name: environment
           run: |