DIRECTIVE	:	EMPLOYMENT SERVICE PROGRAM LETTER NO. 04-97
TO	:	ALL STATE EMPLOYMENT SECURITY AGENCIES
FROM	:	FROM JOHN R. BEVERLY, III Director U.S. Employment Service
SUBJECT	:	Video Tapes for Select Agricultural Job Activities and Conduct of Agricultural Prevailing Wage Surveys

1. Purpose. To provide State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) with video tapes illustrating: (1) job duties and work skills of select agricultural and livestock occupations, and (2) the agricultural prevailing survey fact finding process and employer/worker interviews.

   The job video tapes, in both English and Spanish, cover apple picking, nursery, sheep shearing and sheep herding occupations. They are for use in local and field offices to allow potential worker applicants for both H-2A (criteria) and ARS (non-criteria) job orders to view the type of work and tasks to be performed, as well as the degree of difficulty of the work. This information will assist workers to determine acceptance of referral to H-2A/ARS job orders, and also familiarize local and field office staff with tasks required by employers on job orders thereby facilitating recruitment process of workers and screening of potential job referrals.

   The survey tapes, in English only, are for use by SESAs to train staff on the conduct of the agricultural prevailing wage survey fact finding process and employer and worker interview techniques.

2. Reference. 20 CPR Part 653, Subpart B: Services for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers (MSFWs), and Subpart F Agricultural Clearance Order Activity; 20 CFR Part 655, Subpart B: Labor Certification Process for Temporary Agricultural Employment in the United States (H-2A Workers); ET Handbook 385: Domestic Agricultural In-Season Wage Finding Process; and ET Handbook 398: H-2A Program Handbook.

3. Background. There is a demonstrated need for improvement in the referral and recruitment of workers to interstate/intrastate agricultural criteria (H-2A) and non-criteria (ARS) clearance/job orders. Worker applicants for agricultural job orders often lack a clear understanding of both the type of work they may be required to perform, as well as the degree of difficulty of each required work task specified in the job order. Improved knowledge on part of both workers and local and field office staff will help eliminate recruitment and referrals of workers to jobs the workers either are not qualified to perform or which workers do not want to perform, and helps insure that only willing and qualified workers are referred. The "H-2A Job Activity" tapes are designed to be shown in local or field office lobby areas, or any other SESA authorized setting where recruiting may take place, particularly in labor supply States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, to better enable the potential worker to make his/her determination to accept or not accept referral to a job order.

   The "Agricultural Prevailing Wage Survey" tape is designed to supplement existing training materials utilized in SESA agricultural wage survey staff training programs. The tapes were prepared during Fiscal Year 1996 by the Agricultural Reporting Unit of the Job Service Division of the State of California Employment Development. Department (EDD) under a grant awarded by, and-in consultation with the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor. The wage survey tapes are based on the procedures outlined in ET Handbook 385 governing agricultural prevailing wage surveys.

   A package containing one set of three (3) tapes will be shipped by EDD to each SESA Administrator (including the District of Colombia and Puerto Rico) approximately one week after the date of this Employment Service Procrram Letter. The packages will be marked, "Attention: Agriculture Survey/Agricultural Recruitment Units". Requests for additional copies, as well as comments, should be directed to the Division of Foreign Labor Certifications, U.S. Employment Service, Washington, D.C.

   The content of the three tapes are as follows:

   1. "H-2A Job Activities" (English Version):

      1. "Apple Picking" (6:05 minutes)

      2. "Hiring Considerations for Sheep Shearers" (12:30 minutes)

      3. "Nursery Worker" (13:00 minutes)

      4. "Typical Job Duties of a Sheep Herder" (9:00 minutes)

   2. "H-2A Job Activities" (Spanish Version):

      1. "Apple Picking" (8:00 minutes)

      2. "Hiring Considerations for Sheep Shearers" (14:30 minutes)

      3. "Nursery Worker" (11:16 minutes)

      4. "Typical Job Duties .of a Sheep Herder" (9:30 minutes)

   3. 1. "Agricultural Prevailing Wage Survey--The Fact Finding Process" (13:30 minutes)

      2. "Agricultural Prevailing Wage Survey-- Employer/Worker Interview" (9:20 minutes)

4. Action Required. Administrators are requested to:

   1. Distribute copies of the "H-2A Job Activities' tapes to local and field offices in labor supply and recruitment pool areas of their State, and notify these offices that the tapes should be made available to potential agricultural worker applicant referrals in office lobby areas.

   2. Distribute copies of the "Agricultural Prevailing Wage Survey" tape to the appropriate SESA training offices for use in SESA staff training programs.

5. Effective Date. October 28, 1996.

6. Inquiries. Direct questions, comments, and requests for additional video tapes to Larry Ludwig, Division of Foreign Labor Certifications, U.S. Employment Service, telephone: 202-219-5263, X-122, fax: 202-208-5844, e-mail: "ludwigl@doleta.gov" .