Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workforce Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission awards $300,000 ARPA grant to Chamber for workforce setup to unlock $6.5M in WIOA funds
Summary
County approved a $300,000 ARPA grant to the Greater Memphis Chamber to act as fiscal/administrative agent and hire WIOA expertise; commissioners debated whether the chamber is the right fiscal agent and whether funds should be used to create county‑run agency.
The commission approved a $300,000 ARPA award to the Greater Memphis Chamber to provide upfront administrative capacity, consultant support and marketing intended to secure and properly implement approximately $6.5 million in WIOA workforce funds for Shelby County. County and mayoral staff described the award as an up‑front, one‑time investment to bring nationally recognized best practices and to absorb start‑up costs while the workforce board ramps up programming and reimbursement workflows.
Supporters argued the investment will modernize program administration and help the county avoid returning federal funds because some federal workforce grants are reimbursable and require up‑front cash for participant support and training. "These $300,000 are meant to bring best practices to Memphis and Shelby County," a Chamber representative and workforce board partner said during the meeting. Critics urged the county to consider alternative fiscal agents or public agency models, asked whether the chamber has corrected past state audit issues and called for clearer performance milestones and oversight tied to the award.
