Education & Workforce Dev Cabinet

Education & Workforce Development Cabinet, operating as OVR & Octe, is a Kentucky state government entity headquartered in Frankfort that serves as the Commonwealth's primary agency for workforce development, vocational rehabilitation, and educational services. Registered in SAM.gov since May 2007, the Cabinet functions as a child entity within Kentucky's government structure and has established itself as a consistent recipient of federal grant funding across multiple program areas. The Cabinet delivers comprehensive services focused on employment assistance, adult education, early childhood development, and support for individuals with disabilities, operating through its divisions including the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Office of the Blind.

The Cabinet's federal grant portfolio demonstrates extensive involvement in vocational rehabilitation and disability services, with substantial recurring funding through the Rehabilitation Services Vocational Rehabilitation Grants to States program (CFDA 84.126), which provided $24,988,733 for FY2026 to support individualized vocational rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities. The Cabinet also administers multiple adult education initiatives through the Adult Education - Basic Grants to States program (CFDA 84.002), with recent awards totaling approximately $9.2 million to deliver workplace literacy, family literacy, and English language acquisition programs to out-of-school youth and adults. In the disabilities services arena, the Cabinet manages formula grants for Supported Employment Services for Individuals with the Most Significant Disabilities, Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who are Blind (CFDA 84.177), and the AT Act State Grants for Assistive Technology program (CFDA 93.464), which provide $182,026 annually to expand access to assistive technology financing and device demonstrations. The Cabinet's early childhood portfolio includes a $5,931,231 Preschool Development Grants Birth Through Five System Building Grant (CFDA 93.434) focused on creating unified early care and education systems with improved data integration and professional development, as well as a $175,000 Head Start project grant (CFDA 93.600) supporting comprehensive early childhood services. Additionally, the Cabinet received economic development grants from the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration, including awards for the Prosperity Through AgriTech Hub initiative and statewide pandemic recovery planning, while managing federal funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for digital equity planning efforts. All identified grants appear to be direct awards to the Cabinet with no identified subrecipient arrangements detailed in the records.