Angel Cortez was ready for a change.
Cortez, 43, is a Mexican immigrant who has worked in agriculture, landscaping and restaurants since coming to California more than 25 years ago. But he said a workplace injury about a decade ago made physical labor — jobs that require him to stand or walk for long periods of time — extremely painful.
He’s looking for a job he can do primarily while sitting. But his options were limited: He has a high school education from Mexico, but he doesn’t speak fluent English and isn’t comfortable using a computer. So when he heard about a program at Merced College that would help him develop new skills for agriculture, he jumped at the chance.
Cortez, a father of four, is part of the first cohort of a new certificate program launched last month at seven Central Valley community colleges that aims to ensure farmworkers aren’t displaced even as the state’s dominant agriculture industry moves toward a more mechanized future.
As more farms adopt drip irrigation systems, walking tractors with GPS guidance and robots that eliminate weeds with focused laser blasts, the certificate program aims to prepare 8,400 workers for high-tech, high-paying jobs in agriculture by the end of 2026. It’s free to workers who enroll.
The program is one component of a larger effort to promote agricultural innovation in the Central Valley. The federal Economic Development Administration awarded in 2022 $65.1 million led by a coalition of organizations Central Valley Community FoundationWho are working to integrate technology into the region’s vast agricultural operations.
This opportunity comes at a time of change for California agriculture. The industry is facing rising employee costs, a result of state laws requiring increases in the minimum wage and overtime pay for farm workers. The labor force is aging, And immigration from Mexico — once a steady source of new workers — has slowed. And farmers are facing pressure to develop sustainable methods for nurturing crops as the state imposes strict regulations on groundwater and pesticide use, and global warming creates more extreme seasonal weather patterns.
The industry is turning toward Robotic HarvesterHydroponic tabletop farming and other developing technologies to address some of those challenges.
With advances in agricultural methods, workers need to be retrained, says Marco Cesar Lizarraga, agriculture’s executive director. The Campesina Cooperation Organization of CaliforniaA statewide association of agencies that manages agricultural labor service programs.
“The farm worker as we know it will be gone in the next 10, 15 years,” Lizarraga said. “It’s going to be a farm worker who is much smarter and much more skilled at operating robotic equipment.”
Canon Michael, President and CEO Bowles Farming Company in Merced County, echoed those sentiments, saying, “We’re constantly trying to find ways to automate, or transform, or create higher-paying jobs for high-functioning individuals.”
College instructors sought feedback from agricultural leaders to get an idea of what kinds of skills farm workers would need in the new agricultural economy.
Growers said they need workers with a variety of technical skills, people trained in using tablets and computers, who understand complex regulations related to pesticides and who can be promoted into management roles, said Karen Aceves, AgTEC regional director. The Future of Fresno-Merced Food Innovation Initiative.
“We need people who can do math, who can problem solve, who are critical thinkers, who understand the whole agricultural value chain,” Aceves recalls telling growers. “We don’t know what the industry will look like in five and ten years, so we need people who can farm…and we want to retain the farm workers we have.”
The design of the program also Based on surveys More than 10,000 farm workers were surveyed by grassroots organizations at tax preparation programs, food distribution sites, and flea markets. Most respondents had a middle school education or less. They preferred access to online courses from home and after work hours, and wanted to travel 10 miles or less for an in-person class.
Students enrolled in the course study at their own pace through online courses and videos and take in-person exams on college campuses. The program is the first in the California community college system designed as competency-based education, meaning that instead of earning traditional grades, students must prove mastery of specific skills, said Cody Jacobson, director of agricultural innovation at Merced College.
Carl Montague, who is teaching the course at Merced College, said the first lessons focus on digital literacy — including how to use computers, email and various systems to track fertilizer and pesticide use. Later in the program, students will learn to operate and troubleshoot high-tech equipment, and read and understand chemical labels. The course concludes with a primer on workplace communication, including how to craft an effective resume.
The affiliated colleges have hired student support coordinators who help recruit students, assist them in registering for classes and connect them with resources such as laptops and transportation.
In addition to Merced College, this certificate program is also available at Madera, Fresno City, Clovis, Reedley, Lemoore, and Coalinga colleges. It is available in English and Spanish, and is open to everyone regardless of immigration status.
Of the 23 students enrolled so far at Merced College, seven are farm workers, according to a college spokesman. Other students include construction workers and participants in a program for formerly incarcerated adults. They range in age from 19 to 57.
After several weeks of the course, Cortez said he has become much more comfortable using the computer.
“At first I didn’t even know how to turn it on,” he said. Now, “I have my daughter’s laptop, and with it I go to places with Wi-Fi to study in the afternoon.”
It looks like his career options are already expanding. He recently completed a different course in forklift driving at Modesto Junior College. And while he continues to earn an agriculture certificate at Merced College, he said he hopes to use his new computer skills as a driver for DoorDash.
Antonio De Loera-Brust, communications director for the United Farm Workers, cautioned against overestimating the effects of programs like the community college effort, saying most farm workers will continue to toil in the fields for years to come.
He acknowledged the benefits of training farm workers for higher-paying jobs. But, he said, “‘Promotions for all’ is not a comprehensive solution to farm worker poverty.”
“We must not forget all the farm workers who, for whatever reason, will never have this opportunity,” he said. For that reason, the union continues to focus on improving farm jobs through better wages and safer working conditions.
This article is part of an article from The Times. Equity Reporting Initiative, funded by James Irvine FoundationExplore challenges faced by low-income workers and efforts being made to address them Economic Division of California.
