LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The California Employment Development Department said Thursday that it has awarded $10 million as part of the Farmworker Advancement Program to 12 California based organizations — including one that serves Lake County — for creating programs that help farmworkers adjust to the ever-changing demands of the farming industry.

An additional $1 million has been awarded to Jobs for the Future to assist these organizations in the development and rollout of their programs.

The Thursday announcement comes just ahead of Cesar Chavez Day, which will be marked on March 31, in honor of Chavez’s work and legacy of supporting farm workers.

“We’re helping to increase equity and improve outcomes for farmworkers in a rapidly changing industry,” said Employment Development Director Nancy Farias. “This investment builds the necessary skills to prepare farmworkers for upward mobility and higher wages.”

Among the awardees is North Bay Jobs with Justice, which serves Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties.

The organization — which explains on its website that it’s a grassroots coalition of more than 30 labor and community organizations — will receive $985,200.

The Farmworker Advancement Program is a California Jobs First initiative. In partnership with its 13 economic regions, the state is investing in job creation, industrial strategy, and economic development initiatives to create a greener and more equitable economy that works for everyone.

The awarded organizations will develop programs that address farmworkers’ unique needs while adapting to ongoing changes in the agriculture industry.

These programs will provide hands-on training in industry-specific skills, including climate-smart technologies and techniques that leave our land, waters, and climate in better shape for the future. Participants will also receive essential training in English, math, and digital literacy.

By equipping workers with these skills, the programs aim to enhance job stability through career advancement, which can empower farmworkers and strengthen California’s agricultural workforce.

An additional $1 million has been awarded to Jobs for the Future to strengthen collaboration among the 12 awardees, share best practices, and support program development and implementation.

This added layer of support will help ensure programs are effective, sustainable, and aligned with industry needs — ultimately improving outcomes for farmworkers and their communities.

“This work supports grantees to provide critical skills training to farmworkers through innovative programming,” said Stewart Knox, secretary of the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency. “Agriculture is essential to California’s economy and is evolving in response to climate change and technological advancements. We are investing to build pathways for the current workforce to fill the jobs of tomorrow whether in agriculture or other industries.”

These grants are 100 percent federally funded by two separate grant awards totaling $9,999,054.89 and $1 million, respectively, from the U.S. Department of Labor.

In addition to North Bay Jobs with Justice, 2024-25 Farmworker Advancement Program grant recipients include the following:

• Caravanserai Project; Riverside County; $984,532.03.

• Center for Employment Training; Imperial, Monterey, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Riverside and Ventura counties; $985,200.

• Central Valley Opportunity Center Inc.; Madera, Merced and Stanislaus counties; $985,200.

• Equitable Food Initiative; Fresno, Santa Barbara, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties; $490,112.37.

• Five Keys Schools and Programs; Riverside County; $448,248.27.

• Fresno Building Healthy Communities; Fresno and Madera counties; $985,200.

• Kern/Inyo/Mono Consortium Workforce Development Area — Kern County Employer's Training Resource; Kern County; $985,200.

• Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project; Ventura County; $482,881.99.

• Sonoma County Fundación de la Voz de los Viñedos; Sonoma County; $712,756.73.

• University of California Riverside; Imperial, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties; $980,407.

• West Hills Community College District; Fresno and Kings counties; $974,116.50.

In addition, Jobs for the Future, which offers services statewide, received $1 million through the Farmworker Advancement Program Technical Assistance and Developmental Evaluation 2024-25 Program.