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 an assessment of need. An assessment need describes 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.
- 4. Outreach Activities
The 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:
- 4. 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 an assessment of need. An assessment need describes 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.
e. 4. B. Providing technical assistance to outreach staff. 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 and Employment-Related Law Complaint System (“Complaint System” described at 20 CFR 658 Subpart E), 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:
Regular Trainings to Outreach Workers
All outreach workers will receive annual training on local office procedures and on services, benefits, and protections afforded MSFWs by Employment Services. They will also receive training on the Employment Service and Employment-Related Law Complaint System, Agricultural Recruitment System (ARS), daily logs and reports, and joint outreach best practices.
New outreach workers will receive two weeks of training in the local office on local office procedures prior to receiving training conducted by the State Monitor Advocate (SMA). The SMA’s training will include training modules from WorkforceGPS as well the complaint system, Agricultural Recruitment System (ARS), reports, MSFW definitions, and monitoring requirements for all new outreach workers.
Outreach workers will receive training annually from Iowa’s NFJP, Proteus, at the state’s annual meeting. This training will be conducted by both Proteus staff and the SMA; and will include services offered by Proteus, eligibility requirements, referral processes, and joint outreach opportunities.
Additionally, outreach workers will receive training annually on protecting farmworkers against sexual harassment and issues such as sexual coercion, assault, and human trafficking.
Iowa Agriculture Conferences
Outreach workers will attend conferences that focus on farmer associations and agriculture businesses. These conferences include, but are not limited to, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Iowa State Extension, Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference, Women in Agriculture, Agribusiness Showcase, Iowa Organic Conference, and Farming for the Future.
Conferences for Outreach Workers
Outreach workers are encouraged to attend one of the following conferences each year: National Farmworker Annual Conference (MAFO) which focuses on farm worker rights and laws or the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Program’s Annual Conference (AFOP) which is the conference for the NFJPs and focuses on ways to collaborate with that organization. Outreach workers may attend any regional or national training provided by U.S. Department of Labor.