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--
- 2. Outreach ActivitiesThe 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:
- 2. 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--
e. 2. E. Coordinating Outreach Efforts with Nfjp Grantees as Well as with Public and Private Community Service Agencies and Msfw Groups.
Current Narrative:
Outreach Activities
1. Colorado continues to employ six bi-lingual/bi-cultural outreach workers in Brighton, Greeley, Lamar, Delta, Monte Vista and La Junta. Colorado continues to employ outreach workers full time during the peak season as mandated by 20 CFR Part 653.107 (h) (3) (i).
2. The number of staff positions assigned to outreach activities is 6 FTE and will continue to be the same as in prior years with no reductions.
3. Colorado continues to share a cooperative agreement with Colorado’s NFJP 167 provider
(RMSER). All six significant offices conduct collaboration meetings with RMSER in order to meet the needs of our MSFW clients. Colorado has migrant coalitions in the following cities/towns: Denver, Greeley, Delta, La Junta, and Monte Vista. The State Monitor Advocate attends these migrant coalition meetings on a regular basis, and our outreach workers have identified ways to partner with members of the coalition in order to serve the needs of our MSFW population. Partners who attend coalition meetings on a regular basis are 167 NFJP provider RMSER, Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), migrant education representatives (MEP), migrant housing representatives, food bank representatives and various other representatives from the non-profit sector.
4. In the six significant offices, non-MSFW outreach staff has been cross-trained on how to take Employment Services (ES) related complaints. A policy guidance letter (ADM-2009-01) has been issued covering all ES complaint requirements and procedures. Each Workforce center prominently displays complaint posters and complaint fliers for customer’s ease of information and also provides information about the complaint system during outreach contacts.
5. The following agencies also employ MSFW outreach workers in the state of Colorado:
RMSER (167 NFJP provider), Migrant Education Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), RMSER Migrant Head Start and also migrant health providers. The state of Colorado’s MSFW outreach workers routinely conducts co-outreach with this staff. Additionally, Plaza del Sol and Plaza Milagro in Greeley conduct a migrant information evening share MSFW services providers set up a tent and inform the MSFW agencies about their programs and requirements and also provide information to the migrants that are in attendance.
Each of the six significant offices has customized handouts describing the services offered by the Workforce Centers. These handouts are shared with other migrant outreach workers in other organizations for them to give to their clients. The migrant coalitions in Greeley, Monte Vista, and La Junta routinely have a migrant appreciation picnic at the end of the season. At these picnics the members of the coalitions join forces to work with one another to meet the needs of the MSFW population. The Executive Director of CDLE routinely attends at least one of the picnics to personally thank the farm workers for their hard work in helping to feed America. The Delta area holds annual health fairs for the farmworker community.
6. Colorado will continue to work with the non-agricultural employers through Colorado Workforce Speaks (formerly: Limited English Proficiency (LEP) taskforce.) and provide a venue to help non-agricultural employers recruit and hire LEP clients, many of whom are MSFWs. CDLE will continue to provide resources for Colorado Workforce Speaks through its e-Colorado website: https://e-colorado.coworkforce.com/.
7. CDLE will continue to promote labor exchange services to the agricultural employers by participating in agricultural conferences. The State Monitor Advocate will maintain a very close working relationship with the Colorado Department of Agriculture and identify developing agricultural trends as well as current employer needs. Planned activities include joint training sessions for outreach workers and Agricultural employees on issues such as the Worker Protection Standard, pesticide safety training, revised regulations, and the range of services available for agricultural employers and workers through the local workforce centers.
8. Colorado will continue to utilize annual growers’ meetings to help identify agricultural employers expected to hire MSFWs, and to provide information to the growers regarding changes regarding to housing, pesticide protection and H2A regulations. The Agricultural recruitment system will continue as a resource to bring migrant workers to the state of Colorado. The State Monitor Advocate will continue to maintain close working relationships with the State Monitor Advocates from Texas and New Mexico (Colorado’s labor supply states) to ensure equal opportunity for U.S. migrants for Colorado jobs.