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(Para una versión en español, haga clic aquí.)
Building Partnerships for Success
Agricultural & Foreign Labor Services (AFLS) staff met with Rocio Rodriguez, Community School Coordinator with Grand Rapids Public Schools, Southwest Middle/High School Academia Bilingüe to discuss a partnership development and to better educate and provide employment and training resources, encourage students and parents to continue their education to get better pay and a better quality of life. The goal is to help students and their parents identify programs and resources available in their community.
As partners, the team wanted to better understand what supportive services youth and parents can benefit from in order to help remove barriers to education or employment. Especially since education provides stability, helps one achieve economic self-sufficiency, and opens new doors.
The AFLS team contacts more than 20,000 Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers (MSFWs) annually. This partnership enables Agricultural Employment Liaisons (AELs) to have another resource to refer MSFWs interested in obtaining or continuing their education.
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MSFW Program Manager Presents at the Michigan State University’s Farm Labor Conference
On November 6, Hugo Pantoja, the Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers Program Manager, joined a prominent group of economists, researchers and governmental representatives to present at the second Farm Labor Conference held at Michigan State University. The group spoke about topics important to agricultural growers, agricultural workers, and agencies that provide services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
The conference highlighted the importance of agricultural workers and their crucial role in the United States economy. These workers give American consumers consistent access to domestically produced food which is critical to maintaining a sustainable food supply. One important topic of discussion was the decline of the domestic farm labor supply, which is a rising concern to agricultural employers. Other related topics included an overview of farm labor in Michigan, H-2A wage trends, the economic aspects of robotic apple harvesters and labor challenges faced by employers and employees.
Special thanks to Dr. Zachariah Rutledge for inviting the team to participate and for his continued efforts to bring solutions to the agricultural labor related issues. The conference was highly informative and provided resources and insights to all participants.
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Staff Updates
New State Administrative Manager
The AFLS Team extends a BIG Congratulations to the new State Administrative Manager, Ginger Vallejo. Ginger comes from a farmworker background and brings 20 years of experience working in the field directly with Employment Service partners, farm workers, jobseekers, employers, and other stakeholders.
Ginger will oversee Agricultural Employment Services, Foreign Labor Services, and the recently awarded National Farmworker Jobs Program Career Services, Training and Housing Grants.
Goodbye Seasonal Staff
November marked the end of our peak season and the departure of our seasonal staff. This year, we say goodbye to Clarissa Mejia, Nancy Sanchez Ortega and Jose Barco. Their dedication to the agricultural team, unwavering support for the migrant and seasonal farmworkers, and the lasting friendships they've built have left a meaningful and positive impact. We wish them the best in their future endeavors.
Clarikssa Mejia
Clarikssa's dedication and hard work at the Bienvenido’s Event was truly remarkable. It required a significant investment of time, energy, and perhaps even some tears of frustration when seemingly simple tasks became unexpectedly complicated. However, she persevered and demonstrated exceptional creative problem-solving skills and critical thinking to overcome these challenges and find effective solutions. Her commitment to excellence and her ability to adapt to unforeseen circumstances were truly commendable.
"Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful." - Joshua J. Marine
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Nancy Sanchez Ortega
With the help of her teammates, Nancy has grown into her position and now assists wherever she is needed. She even, with an incredibly heavy heart, travelled three hours to honor the late Patricia Gray, who had become a close friend, and serve MSFWs in the darkest moment.
"The only way to do great work is to love what you do." - Steve Jobs
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Jose Barco
Jose has been a dedicated member of our team, with an unwavering commitment and exceptional teamwork. Jose’s work has made a lasting impact on our organization, and his contributions will not be forgotten. The memories of the good times shared will always hold a special place in with the team. Saying goodbye was incredibly difficult.
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Sign Up For Michigan Reconnect Before the Expansion Deadline!
Do you want a chance to pursue your passions, explore new careers and grow your skills without getting stuck with the bill? It’s time to connect with Michigan Reconnect! For a limited time, 21-to24-year-olds can earn a degree or certificate tuition-free! To qualify, apply for Reconnect by Dec. 31, 2024, and enroll in a community college for the 2025 summer semester.
Don’t wait — time to apply is limited, but your future doesn’t have to be. Visit Michigan.gov/Reconnect to apply now!
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Resources to help you on your job search
Discover seasonal jobs or temporary jobs
SeasonalJobs.dol.gov is an online platform that links people to seasonal and temporary employment opportunities throughout the United States.
Whether you’re looking for seasonal work or require a short-term job, the website assists you in finding suitable employment.
Explore job openings on MiTalent.org
Michigan has thousands of jobs across the state in a variety of industries, including many full-time jobs with benefits in the food and agriculture industry, as well as the agribusiness sector. Start your job search at Pure Michigan Talent Connect (MiTalent.org) to connect with verified employers. You'll even be able to filter your search by jobs in your desired wage range!
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Winter Weather: Plan. Equip. Train
Updates from the Office of Foreign Labor Services
OFLC Webinar to Update Stakeholders on the Process for Filing H-2B Applications
The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) invites stakeholders to participate in a webinar on Wednesday, December 18 from 2 – 3 p.m. to hear best practices and helpful tips for preparing H-2B Applications for Temporary Employment Certification (Form ETA-9142B and appendices). The webinar will cover:
- Regulatory timeframes and filing requirements for H-2B applications with a start date of need of April 1, 2025, or later;
- Procedures OFLC uses to randomly select H-2B applications for review and processing;
- Helpful hints and reminders to avoid deficiencies during application process.
This webinar will be recorded and posted to the OFLC website along with presentation materials for future reference. Please be advised there is a 1000-person participant limit to this webinar.*
Join the meeting here.
Join by meeting number:
Meeting number (access code): 2818 634 4345
Meeting password: H2BUpdate
Join by phone:
1-877-465-7975 US Toll Free
1-210-795-0506 US Toll
Michigan Quarterly Statistics for H-2A and H-2B Foreign Labor Programs
The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) has released the latest statistics for the H-2A and H-2B visa programs. These data points provide valuable insights into how these temporary worker programs are evolving, reflecting changes in the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. Here’s a closer look at the key findings from the Q4 reports for both programs.
For a detailed look at the statistics, you can access the full reports here:
Office of Foreign Labor Certification Publishes Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: H-2B Employer-Provided Wage Surveys
The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register proposing to amend its regulations at 20 CFR 655.10(f) for employer-provided wage surveys for the H-2B program. The publication of the NPRM is necessary because the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia held the 2015 Wage Rule, specifically the data and methodology requirements of 20 CFR 655.10(f)(2) and (f)(4), to be procedurally invalid for failure to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act’s (APA) notice-and-comment requirements. Although declining to vacate the rule, the court remanded it for further consideration.
ETA is publishing this NPRM to cure the APA violation found by the court. Additionally, this NPRM proposes to amend the Rule to clarify existing requirements for employer-provided surveys in the H-2B program, add new requirements to increase the accuracy of employer-provided surveys, and eliminate Form ETA-9165, Employer-Provided Survey Attestations to Accompany H-2B Prevailing Wage Determination Request Based on a Non-OEWS Survey, to increase efficiency. The comment period will close on Friday, January 17, 2025.
View the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: H-2B Employer-Provided Wage Surveys.
The Agricultural Recruitment System
Michigan Works! Service Centers throughout the state are required to provide employment services to employers and job seekers. These services may include:
- Helping job seekers find employment
- Helping employers fill job openings
- Facilitating matches between job seekers and employers
- Participate in a system to clear labor among the states utilizing the Agricultural Recruitment System (ARS)
The ARS has a three-step process that takes 7-10 days. In Step one, employers will receive assistance from Michigan Works! or an Agricultural Employment Liaison (AEL) to enter a job order in Pure Michigan Talent Connect (MiTalent.org). If workers are not available in the local area, step two will recruit workers in state and step three will allow recruitment of workers nationally. Steps two and three will require use of form ETA790.
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In preparation for the 2025 agricultural season, we have established a 24-7 ARS Hotline for agricultural employers needing workers and workers seeking jobs. For more information about the ARS, call the ARS Hotline at 1-855-633-2373 or contact your nearest Michigan Works! Service Center. You can also contact the AEL in your region.
Agricultural & Foreign Labor Services
Workforce Development
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
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