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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of $90 million in grant funding to support workforce training for migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents to prepare them to obtain, retain and advance in agricultural jobs or start new careers.
The department’s Employment and Training Administration will award approximately 50-75 National Farmworker Jobs Program grants to organizations that will provide career services, including career assessment and planning; supportive services; and work-based learning, which may include pre-apprenticeships or Registered Apprenticeships in the agriculture industry or other sectors. Successful applicants will deliver worker-centered, sector-based training that responds to workers’ needs while incorporating strong partnerships with employers.
Authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the NFJP Career Services and Training funding will increase the capacity for migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents to acquire the skills they need to stabilize or advance in agriculture jobs, or to obtain jobs in new industries. The department will announce a separate funding opportunity for housing grants.
The department encourages new applicants with experience delivering employment and training services – yet with little or no experience with a National Farmworker Jobs Program grant – to propose innovative program models. The department also intends to support previously funded NFJP grantees with a record of success.
