The NFJP assists seasonal and migrant farm/ranch workers (hired laborers) obtain permanent, full-time employment in any industry of his/her choosing (within or outside of the agricultural field). There is a wide variety of supports and services available to assist the eligible farmworker in obtaining the skills, knowledge, education and training necessary to become employed in a full-time, permane
nt setting. The National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) is a nationally-directed, locally-administered program of services for migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs) and includes 52 employment and training grants, as well as 17 housing grants across the United States and Puerto Rico. The program partners with community organizations and state agencies to counter the chronic unemployment and underemployment experienced by farmworkers who depend primarily on jobs in agricultural labor performed across the country. The NFJP is an integral part of the public workforce system and a partner in the nationwide network of One-Stop Career Centers. In addition, NFJP partners with state monitor advocates to provide services to farmworkers and their families working in agriculture employment. The NFJP program was created under the 1964 Civil Rights Act and is currently authorized under Section 167 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) serves farmworkers and their families because of a commitment made 50 years ago by President Lyndon B. Johnson to restoring our nation's fundamental promise of equality and opportunity. The 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Economic Opportunity Act were twin pillars of the "War on Poverty" to extend the American Dream to those who had been unjustly excluded. One of the key elements of the latter bill was the establishment of programs to assist farmworkers and their families with services such as education, housing, and childcare. Fifty years later, the NFJP program continues to counter the chronic unemployment and underemployment experienced by many working in agricultural labor.