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:
1. Since many of the temporary farmworkers do not live close to their employer, housing and transportation are unique needs of the migrant seasonal farmworker (MSFW). Only about 17% of employers who hire MSFWs provide some type of housing for their workers and even fewer provide some sort of transportation. As the Agricultural Employment Services (AES) staff visit with employers who are looking for workers, housing and transportation needs are pointed out as possible problems for workers. Staff works with the employer to help remedy these problems.
Missouri’s Migrant Seasonal Farmworker (MSFW) population is predominately Hispanic. During spring and fall peak seasons the migrant worker population is estimated between 4,000 to 6,000 and during non-peak season it is estimated to be less than 1000. While housing and transportation are the two primary needs of farmworkers, other needs include child care, legal aid and medical service referrals. This is based on information gathered during outreach activities performed by State Workforce Agency (SWA) staff and the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) grantee United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS) to migrant camps and employers.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, MSFWs continued to work in the fields. This pandemic caused economic and physical hardships for these essential workers. The AES outreach staff continued providing in-person services while using personal protective equipment. Additionally, staff distributed COVID-19 disease and vaccine supplemental materials to both agricultural employers and MSFWs.