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H-2A Program Outreach Program

H-2A Temporary Agricultural (Farm) Workers' Outreach
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Factors to consider for prioritizing outreach locations and times include:

  • Number of H-2A workers present and timing of work orders. Best to visit a community at the beginning of the season so workers are educated as soon as they arrive to the U.S. 
  • Feasibility and affordability of accessing the location (i.e., flight prices, travel time). 
  • Number and strength of existing partners in the area that serve H-2A workers.
  • Partners/Local organizations have expressed a need for outreach support. 
  • Urgent issues, such as health or human rights emergencies among H-2A workers.

Choosing and Working with Partners:
It is helpful to get insight and suggestions from local organizations and informants about community sites, work hours, and potential access issues. It is best to contact 1-2 partners at least a month before conducting outreach. 

Potential partners include: 

  1. Migrant health centers. 
  2. Farmworker serving organizations. 
  3. Migrant Education Program/Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Program. 
  4. Health departments.
  5. Agricultural extension agents. 
  6. Employers/labor contractors

Section 653.107 of Wagner-Peyser Act governs that the SWAs must conduct outreach to ensure that the Migrant Seasonal Farm Workers receive Employment Services that are qualitatively equivalent and quantitatively proportionate to the services that the SWA offers and provides to other job seekers. 

The migrant and seasonal nature of the farm work that Migrant Seasonal Farm Workers (MSFWs) perform presents numerous challenges to the effective provision of services to this subpopulation. Accordingly, the Department of Labor has historically required State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) to conduct outreach to MSFWs to ensure that the services they receive are qualitatively equivalent and quantitatively proportionate to the services offered to other job seekers.

Below are some guidelines for State work force agencies and other organizations to conduct Outreach to the Migrant Seasonal Farm Workers: 

  • Agricultural Recruitment System
  • Farm Labor Camp/Housing Inspections
  • Employer Information Referrals
  • the Farmworkers Program
  • The State Monitor Advocate (SMA)

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