11/09/07 H2A Workshop

H2A Workshop. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Now that the AgJobs bill is dead this session and who knows how long it will take to get it going again in the next session, the H2A program is about the only program going to support the immigrant work force and anyone who has worked with the program knows it can be tricky. The Employment Security Department is going to give you a hand. Ignacio Marquez, Agricultural Services Program Manager, with Employment Security explains. MARQUEZ: In our discussions with growers and representatives of the Ag industry, we realized that more and more growers were interested in the H2A program. Just to give you an example, the amount of H2A applications we received from 2006 to 2007 almost doubled. The amount of workers that requested to come into Washington also doubled. Marquez feels that it's important to have an open line of communications. MARQUEZ: It's not an easy program to follow and the more open communication, open conversations we have with growers, we feel that would help these growers in their endeavor to get their crops picked. The training program is scheduled for the 31st of January in Yakima, Washington and Marquez says you will need to register through the Employment Security Department. MARQUEZ: Because space is limited, we are giving preferential registration spaces to those employers that have used the H2A program. It's a first come first served basis and we are really just offering this to employers that are seriously thinking about using the H2A program. I know there's a lot of interest out there. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.