Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Wagner-Peyser Program (Employment Services)
All Program-Specific Requirements provided for the WIOA core programs in this section must be addressed for either a Unified or Combined State Plan.
- e. Agricultural Outreach Plan (aop). Each State Agency Must Develop an Aop Every Four Years as Part of the Unified or Combined State Plan Required Under Sections 102 or 103 of WIOA. the Aop Must Include--
- 2. Outreach ActivitiesThe local offices outreach activities must be designed to meet the needs of MSFWs in the State and to locate and contact MSFWs who are not being reached through normal intake activities. Describe the State agency's proposed strategies for:
- 2. Outreach Activities
- e. Agricultural Outreach Plan (aop). Each State Agency Must Develop an Aop Every Four Years as Part of the Unified or Combined State Plan Required Under Sections 102 or 103 of WIOA. the Aop Must Include--
e. 2. B. Providing Technical Assistance to Outreach Workers. Technical Assistance Must Include Trainings, Conferences, Additional Resources, and Increased Collaboration with Other Organizations on Topics Such as One-stop Center Services (i.e. Availability of Referrals to Training, Supportive Services, and Career Services, as Well as Specific Employment Opportunities), the Employment Service Complaint System, Information on the Other Organizations Serving Msfws in the Area, and a Basic Summary of Farmworker Rights, Including Their Rights with Respect to the Terms and Conditions of Employment.
Current Narrative:
The SMA provides training for the outreach workers (MLRs) includes an orientation on the WF1 (MIS) system components and the integration of the MSFW Program within WF1 to effectively and efficiently ensure the documentation of the full range of employment, career and training services provided to the farmworkers. In addition to the outreach duties the MLRs staff also have responsibilities as experienced Job Counselors/Employment Reps., during the off- season winter months. Minnesota annually holds a collaborative statewide Job Counselor Conference for the Department of Human Services, Department of Employment and Economic Development, partner agencies, and community and non-profit organizations. MLRs attend an annual statewide Job Counselor conference where the emphasis of the training includes outreach best practices, team coordination with other agencies, complaint process for workers, information on core programs including Vocational Rehabilitation, Veterans, Unemployment Insurance, rights and protections afforded to MSFWs by state and federal laws. They also receive updated training on customer services, workshops on Dislocated Workers programs, Employer services, SNAP, MFIP, Job Fairs, and WIOA compliance.
The MLR staff are invited to and do present at company’s Employee Orientations for the migrant food processors, facilitated by the food processing companies.
Assisting MSFWs with the Employment Service Complaint Process and the Unemployment Compensation application process is a critical role of the MLR as the farmworkers may be unfamiliar with timeframes for filing, the appeals process or deadlines for applications. The majority of these farmworkers are limited English speakers, and most are also illiterate, the wages earned here is their total yearly earnings. LEP customers often lose their benefits because they do not understand nor respond to the information they receive. They are not aware to request that correspondence regarding services be written in their language. Many times these customer will have to reapply for a benefit/service or start over with the process, which can cost time and decrease the amount of benefits. Therefore, it is imperative that the MLRs identify the LEP workers in the registration process and inform them of their options for assistance including Language Line availability and translator assistance.