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Abstract
Migrant farmworkers are among the poorest members of the working class served by the U.S.
public workforce investment system. The National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) provides
job training and employment assistance to migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their
dependents. While stated goals include assisting migrant farmworkers increase “economic
stability” by steadying agricultural employment and developing job skills, little empirical
evidence exists as to the effectiveness of these programs. This study investigates the effects of
continuing education participation on wages, time worked in agriculture, and poverty in this
population. Data come from the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Agricultural Workers
Survey (NAWS), a nationally and regionally representative survey of employed U.S.
farmworkers. Multivariate regression analysis suggest that continuing education participation is
associated with approximately 26 percent higher wages all else equal, though variation across
programs is large and returns are greatest from job training and English language courses.
Program participation is negatively related to annual weeks in agriculture overall, and positively
related to nonagricultural work weeks and weeks spent abroad. Understanding the dynamics
between continuing education participation and worker outcomes contributes to limited academic
literature on migrant education programs and is important for strategic planning pertaining to
future workforce investments.