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. C. Increasing outreach worker training and awareness across core programs including the Unemployment Insurance (UI) program and the training on identification of UI eligibility issues
Current Narrative:
MSFW outreach workers are merit staff for Wagner-Peyser Employment Services and receive an overview of the Unemployment Insurance process. As part of the one-stop system, the outreach workers are also responsible for providing information regarding ES services, farmworker rights, Unemployment Insurance, the complaint system, WIOA Title I-B employment and training services for Adults, Dislocated Workers and Youth, WIOA Title II Adult Education services, WIOA Title IV Vocational Rehabilitation services, SNAP and TANF benefits, along with other community services that may be available.
The MSFW page in the department’s internal website, EPIC, keeps updated program information available for outreach workers. Not only are outreach workers aware of the WIOA core program services, but they are also active collaborators in advocating for and recruiting participants. Over the last four PYs, Governor’s Reserve/state funds have been set aside to provide additional assistance to MSFW youth at the behest of outreach staff. American Job Center staff, including outreach workers, continue to work together to find eligible individuals in the MSFW communities to connect them to Title IB services. During the end of PY20, the department implemented a media outreach campaign targeting MSFW and Hispanic youth to encourage their enrollment in the Title I-B youth program. AJCs all along the Snake River plain have seen an increase in these youth expressing an interest in the program.
For the past several years, the state has spearheaded an effort to increase WIOA Title I-B Youth program enrollment of MSFW and Hispanic youth through an infusion of Governor’s Reserve funds under the requirement to provide additional assistance to local areas with high concentrations of eligible youth. For PY20, a portion of these funds flowed to areas of the state with agricultural activity to target this population in an enhanced recruitment effort.