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. 6. B. Review and Public Comment
In developing the AOP, the SWA must solicit information and suggestions from NFJP grantees, other appropriate MSFW groups, public agencies, agricultural employer organizations, and other interested organizations. In addition, at least 45 calendar days before submitting its final AOP, the SWA must provide a proposed plan to NFJP grantees, public agencies, agricultural employer organizations, and other organizations expressing an interest and allow at least 30 days for review and comment. The SWA must: 1) Consider any comments received in formulating its final proposed AOP; 2) Inform all commenting parties in writing whether their comments have been incorporated and, if not, the reasons therefore; and 3) Transmit the comments and recommendations received and its responses with the submission of the AOP.
The AOP must include a statement confirming NFJP grantees, other appropriate MSFW groups, public agencies, agricultural employer organizations and other interested employer organizations have been given an opportunity to comment on the AOP. Include the list of organizations from which information and suggestions were solicited, any comments received, and responses to those comments.
Current Narrative:
WIOA 2020-2024 Agricultural Outreach Plan Feedback Summary
In developing the AOP, DEO solicited information and suggestions from the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) Grantees, Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker (MSFW) organizations, Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs), Florida Department of Education, Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Florida Department of Health, Agricultural Labor Programs, Inc. (ALPI), Florida Legal Services, Inc., Coalition of Florida Farmworker Organizations, Inc., Farmworker Association of Florida, Inc., Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA), Catholic Charities, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association and The Florida Citrus Mutual.
The State Monitor Advocate (SMA) received 12 comments from the Florida-Nonprofit Housing, Inc., CareerSource Heartland, CareerSource Suncoast, CareerSource Southwest Florida and Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc.
The SMA considered the comments and suggestions received in formulating the final proposed AOP. Comments and suggestions offered to the SMA in formulating the final AOP included, providing information to MSFWs on the accessibility to the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Program via the media, educating MSFWs on filing Employment Service complaints and apparent violations against H-2A employers, providing MSFWs written information in English, Spanish and Creole regarding their legal rights to file a complaint against an H-2A employers’ discriminatory hiring practices, including a stronger statement in the AOP concerning the impact of Hurricane Irma to the citrus industry in Highlands County, the removal by USDOL of a significant office designation no longer meeting USDOL’s criteria, updating DEO’s MSFW Program Resources, concerns regarding the increase of H-2A workers resulting in a significant decrease of domestic workers, a statement indicating the SMA reviews reports submitted by outreach workers for accuracy and timeliness, an assurance that domestic workers living in service areas not designated as significant are provided with information and assistance in applying for H-2A jobs, outreach worker follow-up with MSFWs to ensure non-discriminatory hiring practices by H-2A employers, prevailing practices surveys and determinations by the State Workforce Agency (SWA) and collaboration with Farmworker Advocacy Groups, including Legal Services.
Comments related to providing information to MSFWs on the accessibility to the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Program via the media, educating MSFWs on filing Employment Service complaints and apparent violations against H-2A employers, providing written information in English, Spanish and Creole regarding their legal rights to file a complaint against an H-2A employers’ discriminatory hiring practices, an assurance that domestic workers living in service areas not designated as significant are provided with information and assistance in applying for H-2A jobs, outreach worker follow-up with MSFWs to ensure non-discriminatory hiring practices by H-2A employers, updating DEO’s MSFW Program Resources, concerns regarding the increase of H-2A workers resulting in a significant decrease of domestic workers, a statement indicating the SMA reviews reports submitted by outreach workers for accuracy and timeliness and collaboration with Farmworker Advocacy Groups, including Legal Services were considered; however, did not result in a modification to the current plan.
Comments related to including a stronger statement in the AOP concerning the impact of Hurricane Irma to the citrus industry in Highlands County were not material to the content of the plan; therefore, were not incorporated.
Comments related to the removal by USDOL of a significant office designation no longer meeting USDOL’s criteria will be taken under advisement by DEO for possible future modifications.
Comments related to prevailing practices surveys and determinations by the State Workforce Agency (SWA) were not material to the content of the plan; therefore, were not incorporated.