The SLATE board voted to approve and authorize execution of a state subaward agreement that will allow the agency to receive its Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) adult, dislocated worker and youth allocations for the coming program year. Board members moved and seconded the authorization and the motion carried with members voting “aye.”

The subaward describes the state’s expectations, program scope and reporting requirements for the year. Cassandra, a SLATE staff member who presented the item, said the agency must obtain signatures from the chief local elected official (the mayor), the board chair and the SLATE director before returning the document so the state can release the award. “We did receive increase in funds…particularly in dislocated worker. Our youth part pretty much remained the same, and then there was a slight increase in adult,” Cassandra said.

Staff told the board they had to complete administrative steps — notarization, registration in SAM.gov and an electronic signature workflow — before the state could accept the executed agreement. Connie Johnson, a SLATE staff member, said the mayor’s office needed DocuSign access and staff were troubleshooting technical issues to return the signed subaward as soon as possible.

Why it matters: the executed subaward triggers the release of WIOA formula funds SLATE uses to operate adult, youth and dislocated-worker programs. The board’s approval was a prerequisite to receive and spend those federal funds under state supervision.

Board direction and next steps: SLATE staff said they will finalize electronic signatures and return the signed subaward to the state; no additional board action was requested beyond the vote.

Details: the presentation indicated a net increase in the allocation for the program year, with the largest change described as an increase in the dislocated-worker allocation. Specific dollar amounts for the WIOA award were not provided in the meeting record.