If you or someone you know works in agriculture, you may have heard of the National Farmworkers Jobs Program (NJFP). This program is making a big difference in people’s lives and could have the potential to change yours, too, so it’s worth understanding fully. Let’s explore some of the details.
Simply put, the NFJP is a program from the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration that provides grant funding for services for migrant and seasonal farmworkers (and their dependents).
The goal of the NFJP is to help farmworkers and their dependents gain the skills they need to obtain better economic outcomes, either by advancing in agricultural careers or gaining employment in other industries.
Under the NFJP, eligible individuals can take advantage of a wide range of services that may help them economically. These services include:
Farmworkers can get housing help through the NFJP such as permanent or temporary housing assistance. Temporary housing assistance may come in the form of emergency housing payments such as cash payments or vouchers for rent and utility costs. Permanent housing assistance, on the other hand, could include construction, property and project management, and renovation.
A wide range of training services is available for farmworkers through the NFJP such as GED training, English as a second language (ESL) education, commercial driver’s license (CDL) training, and other industry-recognized certification courses/training.
Most importantly, the NFJP provides funding for occupational skills and job training for farmworkers and their dependents. That includes job training which can make a huge difference in starting and advancing a career in an in-demand industry.
The career services offered through the NFJP are intended to help eligible participants develop the career they want. Job search assistance, skills assessments, and career planning/counseling are all part of the NFJP career services.
Financial literacy, a vital part of securing a strong economic future, is also something that NFJP participants can get help with through the NFJP.
While the career and training services can (and do) help younger people who participate in the NFJP, there are also designated youth services in the program. These services include mentoring, leadership training, tutoring, counseling, and entrepreneurship training.
Other support services such as assistance with transportation, work clothing, and childcare may also be available through the NFJP.
The exact amount of funding for the program varies by year. In Program Year 2021, the Department of Labor awarded more than $80 million in NFJP career services and training grants.
Not every farmworker is eligible to receive benefits from the NFJP. In order to be eligible for benefits for themselves and/or their dependents, the farmworker must:
Under these guidelines, farm work is defined as having worked on a ranch, in the fields, in fish farming, in a nursery, or in a plant that packages or processes produce.
If you’re not sure whether you would be eligible for the NFJP, you can use this eligibility checker from benefits.gov to get a better idea. Remember if you qualify for assistance under the program, so do any dependent family members of yours.
The Center for Employment Training (CET) is proud to offer a wide range of career training opportunities to seasonal and migrant farmworkers across the country. If you or your dependents are eligible to receive services and support through the NFJP, there’s no better place to go than CET.
Find out more by calling us at (800) 533-2519 or visiting our dedicated Farmworker Admissions page for more on the NFJP program offered at CET. We can’t wait to hear from you!
