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. A. Contacting farmworkers who are not being reached by the normal intake activities conducted by the employment service offices
Current Narrative:
Outreach worker will work with any and all community groups to explore opportunities for strengthening partnerships to improve outreach. Outreach worker will continue to offer to speak at partners’ staff meetings and provide them with up–to–date information about workforce services and commitments. The Monitor Advocate will engage in conducting outreach activities alongside outreach workers, and conduct presentations to partner agencies. Outreach worker will conduct traditional face to face and one–on–one outreach to farmworkers.
The Outreach worker will promote H2-A job listings with higher paying wages to the local domestic workforce. To improve this, Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC), American Job Centers (AJC’s) will ensure that those higher paying agricultural jobs are visible and accessible to walk-in customers. AJC’s will also look for new and creative ways to promote H2-A job listings to the local domestic workforce. The Outreach worker will also continue to serve as an advocate of the Complaint System to ensure that MSFWs are aware of all of their legal protections. AJCs staff will assist MSFWs in applying for and filling out employment applications for positions listed within HiRE. Staff will also refer registered MSFWs to appropriate and relevant WIOA title I partner agencies and to the local area National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP). LWC is leveraging outreach activities with our Section 167 partner, MET, Inc and local interest groups, and employer groups through employer and worker forums, and farmworker support groups.
Outreach worker have been provided training on the Agricultural Recruitment System (ARS) that includes regular agriculture listings and H2-A job listings. This training helps them work with employers, who increasingly need compliance education to navigate the H-2A application process which can be administratively complex. Partner agency connections have been met with positive outcomes.