The U.S. Department of Labor is awarding nearly $84 million in grants to combat chronic unemployment and underemployment experienced by seasonal farm workers. Colorado is set to receive more than $1 million of that funding.
The National Farmworker Jobs Program aims to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers who depend primarily on agricultural labor jobs. The program helps eligible workers improve their current job skills, and train for careers in emerging industries that offer higher wages and more stable employment.
U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis says agricultural workers face significant barriers to stable employment, with their families often paying the price.
In Colorado, the $999,986 grant will be administered by Rocky Mountain SER/Jobs for Progress, an organization that provides disadvantaged Coloradans with employment services as well as housing and childcare assistance. In addition, more than $387,000 in housing assistance grants will be awarded to a Colorado organization that helps with affordable housing. The grants cover a two-year period, and are allocated based on the number of eligible workers in each state or territory.
