Project Development Partners
- WSU Extension
- Northwest Agriculture Business Center
- Thurston Economic Development Council
- Thurston Conservation District
- Pierce Fresh
- Northwest Meat Processors Association
- Pierce County Conservation District
- Pac Mountain Workforce Development Council
- Washington State Department of Agriculture
This proposal was developed over a series of meetings held between October 2021 and February 2022 with livestock producers, meat processors, and agriculture and meat processing technical service organizations.
Labor Program Summary for Thurston County Commissioner review: Ag labor program summary
Project Informational Resources Links:
- Slide summary of project proposal: Ag Industry Impact Compiled
- Jobs data; compilation of COVID-19 impacts to crop production, livestock production, and meat processing industry: Data summaries
- Document draft ag labor recovery proposal, last edited March 24th, 2022: ARPA Ag Labor Proposal_v2
Proposal Context
Thurston County farmers are experiencing disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Impacts to agriculture and the meat processing industry (namely impacts to labor market) have emerged as prevailing challenges facing farmers and the agriculture industry.
To address outstanding agriculture labor and meat industry problems, a group of several agriculture resource partners and farmers met from early from October 2021 and ongoing into 2022 to discuss strategies to alleviate impacts to agriculture industry labor issues. This work group included representatives from the Thurston Economic Development Council, Thurston Conservation District, WSU Extension, Pac Mountain Workforce Development, Northwest Agriculture Business Center, Pierce County Fresh, and the Pierce Conservation District, Northwest Meat Processors Association, and Washington State Department of Agriculture.
The current proposal addresses problems facing agriculture in Thurston County and the greater region:
- Labor shortages in agriculture generally
- Labor shortages in the meat processing industry specifically
- Disruptions in meat processing due to labor and infrastructure disruptions
The program proposed here will 1) help recruit and retain agricultural workers through outreach and marketing, training, wage premiums, industry support and networking, and strategic cultivation of the local food value proposition for workers in this region, and 2) match funding allocated by Pierce County to complete an assessment of meat processing infrastructure in the region and generate proposals to address infrastructure issues.
Situation – COVID-19 Impacts on Agriculture in Thurston County
In 2021 and early 2022, disruptions to the agriculture and meat processing sectors due to COVID-19 were evaluated through a survey and series of listening sessions with farmers, technical service organizations, and initial outreach to meat processors. Outreach results are summarized in Box 1.
Thurston County-specific COVID-19 disruptions obtained through survey work in late summer 2021 are summarized below and in Figure 1. Three pressing impacts are noted here:
- Among Thurston County farmers, difficulty acquiring and retaining labor is the second highest ranking significant negative impact of COVID-19 (behind reduced availability or increased cost of farm inputs)
- 46% of Thurston County farmers are having significant difficulty acquiring and retaining labor
- 27% of Thurston County farmers are experiencing significant impact regarding decreased access to or increased costs of using regional processing facilities
Figure 1. Impacts of COVID-19 on Thurston Agriculture Businesses
Goals
1. Provide immediate relief to economic harm to the agriculture and meat processing industry caused by labor shortages through:
- Recruitment using targeted outreach, marketing, branding improvements, and other messaging tools
- Retention by providing incentives, program support, apprentice and employer training, leadership training, and business networking support
- Access to cost-reimbursed continuing education coursework in leadership, farming, and meat cutting using existing available curriculum whether online or in-person
2. Identify immediate opportunity for reducing meat processing bottlenecks by:
- Assess current processing capacity and needs by matching Pierce County financial support for a meat processing facility feasibility assessment
- Mobilize the results of the meat processing needs evaluation through targeted short-term funding opportunities that are imminently available through the Washington State Department of Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture, and other funding opportunities
Concept
The concept of this workforce response proposal is to provide seed funding to establish a regional agriculture and meat processing sector apprenticeship program. Thurston County funding would provide funds to initiate this program that would develop a regional and even statewide reach in subsequent years.
The program would initially fund an agriculture labor workforce development program lead (hereafter referred to as “program coordinator”) who would work closely with regional Workforce Development councils. The “seed program” would operate through 2024 with funding through an ARPA allocation in Thurston County. The program coordinator would bring industry-specific skills for training and placing apprentices, supporting employers, and overall program coordination. PacMtn Workforce Development Council will be a critical partner, and would provide support in workforce onboarding, retraining collaboration, and related tasks.
Functionally, funding will support the program coordinator and provide a budget to successfully recruit, train, and retain motivated agricultural workers, thereby alleviating labor shortages in agriculture generally and meat processing specifically. The budget will provide resources from 2022 through 2024 to deploy marketing and outreach/communication tools, facilitate tuition-paid training, and offer professional development/continuing education opportunities for workers. The program coordinator would be housed with a local technical service providers (WSU Extension or Thurston Conservation District) and overseen by a steering committee with representation from farmers, farm research and education agencies, and workforce development entities (see Organizational Structure, below).
Principles
– Don’t recreate the wheel. The program will leverage existing resources and partnerships, such as with available meat processing apprenticeships, online training resources, ag job marketing networks, and regional workforce development councils/organizations
– Develop tailored professional development. The program coordinator will work with job placement sites and program participants to develop tailored training and placement plans that meet professional development needs and aspirations of each trainee.
– Focus on leadership and sustainable career paths. Retention and industry viability rely on growing new leaders within the agriculture sector, whether farm businesses, or owners of meat processing shops. The program will help increase the value proposition and value to trainees and mentors by supporting leadership training, and apply pay premiums, job titles, and certifications as compensation for these trainings. This funding proposal provides seed money to start the program, and other funds will be sought to continue the program and/or broaden it for a regional focus.
– Industry branding and value. By directly facilitating innovative job marketing, relationships, business-to-business networking, and direct one-on-one support, the program seeks to make the agriculture and meat processing sectors desirable places to work, and he lp the upcoming workforce feel passionate about what they do. This includes necessary cultural changes and leadership development regarding best employment management practices, gender equity, and focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the agriculture and meat processing industries.
Proposed Activities
Recruitment
| Core activities | Additional activities | Partner organizations |
| · Hire a program coordinator to recruit, place, and support new hires
· Support the value proposition for local ag and processing jobs, storytelling, industry branding · Utilize existing job posting resources · Monitor job boards · Evaluate applicants · HR support / Compliance assurance to programs, etc · Bilingual, ESL support; DEI strategies |
· Career coaching, resume building, other
· Write/advertise job posts · Coordinate secondary certifications · Legal compliance · Attend job fairs · Online recruitment platform |
· Thurston Co farms
· Thurston Co meat processors · Pac Mountain Workforce Development, other WFD partners · Eat Local First – utilize and expand job board of existing networking organization · Washington State Job Board for Ag · WorksourceWA.com |
Placement
| Core activities | Additional activities | Partner organizations |
| · Maintain farm/meat processor employer listings
· Site placement review; employer needs assessment · Apprentice review; skill needs and capabilities assessment · Tailed training plan development · Hiring events, apprentice site search support |
· Site criteria and vetting
· Employer and apprentice goal-setting · Generate and maintain value-proposition for employers · Build connections to workforce pipelines · Employer workshops, apprentice workshops · Succession planning assistance |
· Thurston Co farms
· Thurston Co regional meat processors · Pac Mountain Workforce Development, other WFD partners · NW Meat Processors Association |
Retention
| Core activities | Additional activities | Partner organizations |
|
|
|
Education/curriculum
| Core activities | Additional activities | Partner organizations |
| · Track standards for completion
· Training cost reimbursement · Annual programming budget – development and compliance · Coordinate workshops, webinars, other education offerings · Track deliverables and program outcomes |
· Complete reporting and oversight requirements
· Compliance to state, local and federal requirements. L&I, etc · Support certifications acquisition/ requirements
|
· Northwest Meat Processors Association
· Seattle Puget Sound Meat Cutters Program · WSU Extension Animal Science · Range Meat Academy · Illinois Meat Academy · South Seattle College Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter School · Niche Meat Processors Assistance Network · ATTRA (Internship Curriculum Handbook) |
Job site support, training, vetting, compliance
| Core activities | Additional activities | |
| · Employer training and networking
· Apprentice training and networking · HR policy, procedure, compliance and oversight · DEI and ESL support |
· Facilitation/conflict resolution process
· Intellectual property and private ownership concerns? |
· Labor and Industries
· · Workforce Development |
Resources and Tools for the Program Coordinator
Program funding will provide the agriculture labor workforce placement coordinator with financial resources and tools to support labor recruitment and retention. The program coordinator will use these resources to effectively serve as a job placement, training, and retention specialist.
Organizational Structure
A specifically agriculture technical service agency will serve as the employer or record for the apprenticeship program coordinator.
An Advisory Board will guide continued program design and implementation, as well as oversight during program operation. The steering committee will advertise, recruit, and manage the selection process for the program coordinator. During program operation the Advisory Board will meet regularly with the program coordinator and partner organizations to provide strategic guidance and input. Representatives from at least the following organizations will be provided seats on the Advisory Board: Thurston County, WSU Thurston County Extension, Thurston EDC, the Northwest Agriculture Business Center, Thurston Conservation District, Pierce Conservation District, Pierce Fresh, PacMtn Workforce Development, Washington State Dept. of Agriculture (or designee on Washington Meat Up), at least one livestock producer, and one meat processor.
Relationship to Long-range Agriculture Labor Support Funding and Stewardship
This apprenticeship program will begin in Thurston County, and ultimately the goal of this work is to design a Western Washington or perhaps statewide program. The initial implementation of this work in Thurston County would be a pilot project, funded by Thurston County from 2022 through 2024. Once operational, it is envisioned that this program will transition to being housed by another host organization such as the WSDA and serve a wider region.
- Support long-range industry goals
- Support long-range industry salary goals
- Capacity building for the industry
- Capacity building for processing facilities. Loans and business development support.
- Capacity building for the meat producers. Loans, grants and business development support.
- Provide referral services
- ESL; DEI strategies and support
- Consumer education
- Succession planning assistance for meat processors
- Support land and business acquisition
- Provide business networking and mentorship
- Coordinate housing support
Professional Training and Program Development Partner Organizations
- Seattle Puget Sound Meat Cutters Program https://www.ufcw21.org/meat
- South Seattle College Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter School https://tradecollege.org/colleges/seattle-community-college-south-campus/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/meat-cutting/
- Feasibility studies, Niche Meat Processors Assistance Network. https://www.nichemeatprocessing.org/
- UFCW Meat Cutters Apprenticeship Program https://www.ufcw.org/apprenticeship/
- Range Meat Academy https://rangepartners.com/range-meat-academy/
- Northwest Meat Processors Association https://www.nwmpa.com/
- WSU Animal Science Program https://ansci.wsu.edu/