Under Section 167, eligible seasonal farmworkers and
their dependents may be offered core services (including initial assessment,
One-Stop Center services, job placement and eligibility determination)
intensive services developed under a case management system (such as objective
assessment, individual employment planning, basic education, allowance
payments, dropout assistance, and work experience) training services (such as
classroom training that is occupationally specific and on the job training)
and related assistance (such as emergency assistance and other supportive
services that allow a farmworker to stay employed or continue his or her
participation in program activities).
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant Eligibility: (1)
Public agencies and units of government (State and local); and (2) private
nonprofit institutions/organizations authorized by their charters or articles
of incorporation to operate employment and training programs.
Beneficiary Eligibility:
Limited to low income individuals and their dependents who have, during any
consecutive 12 month period in the 24 months preceding their application for
enrollment, been primarily employed in agricultural labor that is
characterized by chronic unemployment or underemployment due to the seasonal
or migratory nature of the work. Individuals must also be legally available
for work and males must not have violated the Selective Service Act
registration requirement.
Credentials/Documentation:
Applicants must be able to demonstrate an understanding of the problems of
seasonal farmworkers and the capacity to respond to their needs, a familiarity
with the local agricultural industry, the administrative capacity to
administer workforce investment programs and the capacity to be an effective
One Stop system partner.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:
Pre-application Coordination:
The standard pre-application forms as furnished by the Federal agency and
required by OMB Circular No. A-102 must be used for this program. This program
is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official
designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more
information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for
assistance if the State has selected the program for review.
Application Procedure:
Biennial competitive process (a provision for waiver of competition for a
maximum four 4 year period may be exercised by the Department). The next
required competition will be for Program Years 2003-2004. A Solicitation for
Grant Applications will be published in the Federal Register in early 2003.
Award Procedure: Competing
applications will be rated according to criteria included in the Solicitation
for Grant Application. Awards are made directly to eligible applicants by the
Employment and Training Administration.
Deadlines: Contact the
headquarters for application deadlines.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:
30 to 90 days.
Appeals: Petition for
reconsideration of nonselection as a potential grantee may be made to an
Administrative Law Judge within 21 days of notification of the Department's
decision.
Renewals: Grants may be
renewed without further competition for a third and fourth year provided
performance for the first two years has been satisfactory.
ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula and Matching Requirements:
The program has no statutory formula. The Department has developed a formula
for funding of the National Farmworker Jobs Program that is based on relative
distribution among the States of the nation's eligible seasonal farmworkers.
The formula relies primarily on data from the Census of Agriculture and the
National Agricultural Workers Survey. This program has no matching
requirements.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:
Awards initially apply for two years, with the option of a subsequent two-year
renewal if performance is satisfactory.
POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports: Quarterly program and
financial status reports.
Audits: In accordance with
the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997),
"Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations,"
nonfederal entities that receive financial assistance of $300,000 or more in
Federal awards shall have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for
that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in
Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year,
except as noted in Circular No. A-133.
Records: Grantees are
required to maintain complete accounting, personnel, and individual
participant records in accordance with OMB Circulars A-102 and A-110.
Participant records must support eligibility and the need for services
provided.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Account Identification:
16-0174-0-1-504.
Obligations: (Grants) PY 01
$67,596,408; PY 02 est $69,743,300; and PY 03 est $72,163,800. The program
operates on a program year (PY) beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance:
Grants may range between $100,000 and $7,000,000. The average is not
calculated.
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
In program year 2001, an estimated 41,000 farmworkers
received job training and supportive services. Fifty-five grants were awarded.
REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
20 CFR 669.
INFORMATION CONTACTS:
Regional or Local Office:
None.
Headquarters Office:
Division of Seasonal Farmworker Programs, Office of Adult Services, Employment
and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-4645, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. Telephone: (202) 693?3843.
Fax: (202) 693-3818.
Web Site Address:
http://wdsc.doleta.gov/msfw/
EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
Projects assist farmworkers complete educational goals
and learn specific job skills in order to acquire the qualifications employers
require for occupations offering permanent full-time employment. This is
accomplished through a case management- driven system that uses customer
choice to guide the farmworker customer in the development of a strategy for
acquiring the job skills and related education that are needed to qualify for
the higher skilled job, and consequently the opportunity for earning a better
livelihood. Projects also assist farmworkers seeking to remain in farmwork by
providing emergency assistance and other supportive services that promote
their continued participation in the agricultural workforce.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Selection criteria are described in the Solicitation for
Grant Application published in the Federal Register whenever there is a
competition for grant awards.
