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. 1. Assessment of Need
Provide an assessment of the unique needs of farmworkers in the area based on past and projected agricultural and farmworker activity in the State. Such needs may include but are not limited to: employment, training, and housing.
Current Narrative:
The migrant farmworker stream in Minnesota continues to evolve with workers only wanting to assist with seasonal crop production and returning home in the off–season. Employment opportunities have shifted from actual field work to food processing, thus changing the dynamics that makes employment more predictable based on the growth season. Workers are recruited prior to seasons, as producers recruit in Texas. Farmworkers are less interested in staying in Minnesota for training, due to family members elsewhere and climate reasons.
This is contributed to by the housing made available to migrant workers. This housing is dedicated to contracted adult workers. Bringing entire families forces workers into year long leases which is incompatible with the financial resources of the workers.