Narrative: e. 4. E.

1. Colorado continues to employ six bi-lingual/bi-cultural outreach workers in Brighton, Greeley, Lamar, Delta, Monte Vista and La Junta. Colorado continues to employ outreach workers full time during the peak season as mandated by 20 CFR Part 653.107 (a) (4).
2. The number of staff positions assigned to outreach activities is 6 FTE and will continue to be the same as in prior years with no reductions.
3. Colorado continues to share a cooperative agreement with Colorado’s 167 provider RMSER. All six significant offices conduct collaboration meetings with RMSER in order to meet the needs of our MSFW clients. Colorado has migrant coalitions in the following cities/towns: Denver, Greeley, Delta, Pueblo, La Junta, and Monte Vista. The State Monitor Advocate attends migrant coalition meetings on a regular basis, and our outreach workers have identified ways to partner with members of the coalition in order to serve the needs of our MSFW population. Partners who attend coalition meetings on a regular basis are 167 providers Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), RMSER, migrant education representatives, migrant housing representatives, food bank representatives and various other representatives from the non-profit sector.
4. In the six significant offices, non-MSFW outreach staff has been cross-trained on how to take Employment Services (ES) related complaints. A policy guidance letter (PGL ADM-2017-01) has been issued covering all ES complaint requirements and procedures.  Each Workforce center prominently displays complaint posters and complaint fliers for customer’s ease of information and also provides information about the complaint system during outreach contacts. The complete document is available on-line for review at: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/PGL-ADM-2017-01_ES-Complaint-System.pdf
5. The following agencies also employ MSFW outreach workers in the state of Colorado: RMSER (167 provider), Migrant Education Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), RMSER Migrant Head Start and also migrant health providers. The state of Colorado’s MSFW outreach workers routinely conduct co-outreach with this staff. Additionally, Plaza del Sol and Plaza Milagro in Greeley routinely conduct a migrant information evening share MSFW services providers set up a tent and inform the MSFW agencies about their programs and requirements and also provide information to the immigrants that are in attendance.
   
   Each of the six significant offices has customized handouts describing the services offered by the Workforce Centers. These handouts are shared with other migrant outreach workers in other organizations for them to give to their clients. The migrant coalitions in Greeley, Monte Vista, and La Junta routinely have a migrant appreciation picnic at the end of the season.
   
   At these picnics the members of the coalitions join forces to work with one another to meet the needs of the MSFW population. The Executive Director of CDLE routinely attends at least one of the picnics to personally thank the farm workers for their hard work in helping to feed America. The Delta area holds annual health fairs for the farmworker community.
6. Colorado recognizes the importance of targeting the non-agricultural employers through outreach efforts. Colorado formed a Limited English Proficiency (LEP) taskforce, Colorado Workforce Speaks. The Colorado State Monitor Advocate is also the LEP Coordinator. There are several non-agricultural employers who participate in this effort. These employers use the services of the Colorado Workforce Centers in order to access LEP clients, and it has created a “Win/Win” situation for the employers and the clients of the workforce center. Colorado’s E-Colorado website https://e-colorado.coworkforce.com/ has team rooms that are specific to programs that include a Colorado Workforce Speaks team room. In this team room, workforce staff can access needed language resources, documents, reports, and flyers.
7. The state of Colorado continues to promote labor exchange services to the agricultural employers by participating in agricultural conferences. The State Monitor Advocate maintains a very close working relationship with the Colorado Department of Agriculture. This close working relationship allows the State to be in touch with the latest trends and current employer needs. All Colorado outreach workers and other workforce staff have been trained and certified in pesticide safety. This training is another tool outreach workers can use in providing pesticide safety information to both the worker and the employer.
   
   This free service for agricultural employers is used as a marketing tool by providing the service and then reminding the employer about the labor exchange services offered by the One-Stop centers. Outreach Workers are trained to inform the employers of the benefits and the requirement to recruit US workers when they are equally qualified for the positions announced in an H2A application. The Monitor Advocate is also active in the Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA) and encourages outreach workers to attend CFVGA meetings.
8. Colorado will continue to utilize annual growers’ meetings as a vehicle to identify agricultural employers expected to hire MSFWs. The growers’ meetings are held annually in different parts of the state. The 2020 growers’ meetings will provide information to growers about law changes related to housing, pesticide protection and H2A regulations. The Agricultural recruitment system will continue to be a resource to bring migrant workers to the state of Colorado.
   
   A very close working relationship with the State Monitor Advocates from the states of Texas and New Mexico (Colorado’s labor supply states) will continue to be essential to ensure equal opportunity for U.S. migrants for Colorado jobs. Colorado is also developing a working relationship with hemp employers because of the large increase in hemp acreages.

The below chart indicates the number of MSFWs to be contacted during the program year by workforce center staff, and the number of staff days (based on eight hour days) to be utilized for outreach, listed by local office where outreach staff is assigned, as well as state office:

The number of MSFW anticipated registrants is 700. 

Agricultural employers will be contacted by outreach staff to obtain job orders, conduct job development, and provide assistance with the state’s electronic system.  It is estimated that the state of Colorado will contact a total of 100 agricultural employers, as many of the agricultural employers routinely list job postings with the six significant offices, and these employers utilize our services year after year.