America’s Farmworkers Tackle Critical Shortages in Healthcare Profession
Through Grants from Department of Labor, 1383 Farmworkers have been Trained and/or Placed into Health Occupations
Washington, D.C – The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs announced today that over the past year, grantees from the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) have placed and/or trained over 1,380 farmworkers into healthcare occupations. These include placements in jobs such as radiology technicians, CNAs, LPNs, paramedics and pharmacy technicians to name a few.
“These numbers illustrate why the National Farmworker Jobs Program is one of the Department of Labor’s most successful programs,” said David Strauss, Executive Director of the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs. “In times of record shortages in the healthcare profession, farmworkers are receiving training and providing critical services for our country,”
The National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP), authorized by Section 167 of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), provides life-changing workforce development services to America’s migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
“From Maine to California, through the NFJP, farmworkers have started to realize the American dream,” said Strauss. “They have transformed their lives from earning below the federal poverty line to being able to provide a living for themselves and their families.”
The corresponding map highlights the number of farmworkers trained and/or placed into health professions in each state. 1383 farmworkers represent about 17 percent of all farmworkers that received job training and placement assistance through the NFJP in 2008.
The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs is the national federation of non-profit and public agencies that provide job training and assistance to migrant and seasonal farmworkers. For more information about a specific state or for interview or comment, please contact Matthew Sheaff at (202) 828-6006 x140 or by email at Sheaff@afop.org
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Matthew T. Sheaff
Communications Specialist
The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs
1726 M ST NW
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
202.828.6006 x140
Sheaff@afop.org
