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:
Staff training is an ongoing process. Initial training for new Agricultural Specialist staff serving in Virginia Works Centers has been and will continue to be conducted on outreach, the employment service complaint system, MSFW definitions, other regulatory requirements, and the Agricultural Recruitment System. Additional training for selected staff, including Local Office Management and District Managers, will be provided through attendance at regional training sessions conducted by the State Monitor Advocate and the Agriculture and Foreign Labor Certification Manager. Training will also be conducted by the State Monitor Advocate for other staff, as needed. Monthly conference calls are conducted with all Agricultural Specialist staff, the State Monitor Advocate, and the Foreign Labor Certification Manager. Agricultural Specialist staff will participate at local grower meetings and combined training will be conducted with Telamon when feasible. Virginia Works will continue to work closely with labor law enforcement agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, the Virginia Department of Health, and the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society to continue knowledge exchange and to ensure quality services are available to agricultural workers and employers.