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. 3. An assessment of the unique needs of farmworkers means summarizing Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker (MSFW) characteristics (including if they are predominantly from certain countries, what language(s) they speak, the approximate number of MSFWs in the State during peak season and during low season, and whether they tend to be migrant, seasonal, or year-round farmworkers). This information must take into account data supplied by WIOA Section 167 National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) grantees, other MSFW organizations, employer organizations, and State and/or Federal agency data sources such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration
Current Narrative:
3. Assessment of Need
MSFW Characteristics
Missouri’s migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs) have a variety of surprising characteristics. As the Agricultural Employment Services (AES) staff visit with the agricultural employers hiring farmworkers, they are finding MSFWs originate from a variety of locations. MSFWs are predominantly from Mexico and a few from Nicaragua, Salvador, and other Central American countries. In addition to workers of Hispanic origin, the farm workers include individuals of Haitian, Bosnian, South African, and Burmese descent. Additionally, American citizens can qualify as a migrant and/or seasonal farm worker. The predominant languages spoken include Spanish and English.
Local WDB and One-Stop Job Center Partnership
The Office of Workforce Development and the Local Workforce Development Boards have an MOU with the 167 National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) grantee, United Migrant Opportunity Services, Inc. (UMOS), to ensure the most effective and efficient utilization of the funds provided by US Department of Labor for administration and operation of the statewide Migrant Seasonal Farmworker’s outreach program. Through MO’s labor exchange system, staff can make provider referrals to both NFJP, WIOA Title I staff, and other job center partners.
Peak Season
At peak time, especially during the harvest season, there can be as many as 6,000 MSFWs in Missouri. This will go down to approximately less than 1,000 during the low season. The large majority of MSFWs are year-round farmworkers; there are some seasonal and farmworkers who migrate from other states like Florida and Texas. Many of the MSFWs desire to stay in permanent jobs and not have to move around. They also want to stay in the agricultural field, so UMOS and the Missouri Job Centers, diligently work to help move the MSFWs into full time permanent positions. For MSFWs who seek training and jobs in non-agricultural fields, UMOS and Missouri Job Centers continue to collaborate to facilitate training programs, funding, job referrals, and any other supportive services needed for MSFW customers.