Program hopes to builds confidence, skills for Spanish-speaking ag workers in PA
- Jeff Ishee
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
By Alexandra McLaughlin
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A year and a half ago, producers in Pennsylvania’s tree-fruit and poultry industries turned to Penn State Extension with a critical need. They cited language barriers, safety concerns, and workforce retention as top challenges, and asked for help training Spanish-speaking workers in English, safety, and workplace skills.
With its statewide reach, trusted relationships, and history of bilingual education and outreach, Penn State Extension was uniquely positioned to respond.
Extension educators developed English4Ag, a program designed to meet growers’ needs and teach conversational and industry-specific English to Spanish-speaking agricultural workers.
After just a few sessions, one tree-fruit worker felt confident enough to ask questions during a team meeting.
“Seeing participants gain confidence has been incredibly rewarding,” said Maria Gorgo-Simcox, bilingual horticulture extension educator and project leader with extensive experience in culturally relevant agricultural training.
“The program addresses a longstanding gap in agricultural education, helping growers provide employees with essential professional development,” she said.
English4Ag is part of a larger initiative that began in 2024, when the Extension Foundation’s AgriProspects Workforce Development Network awarded Penn State Extension a minigrant to support Success Skills in Spanish 4 Ag, a program focused on workforce development for Spanish-speaking employees in the tree-fruit and poultry industries.
The project is aimed at improving safety, communication and workforce retention through training in agricultural English, safety compliance and soft skills. The goal is to help Latino workers with limited English proficiency work more safely while boosting morale and productivity.
Safety first
For employers, the stakes are high.
“Our biggest concern was the safety risks involved with the language barrier,” said Mikel Grimm, director of human resources at Adams County Nursery. “Not being able to understand instructions or safety labels creates a huge risk for accidents and injuries.”
Language barriers also limit career advancement. “On many farms, those who do not have English skills are limited in what promotions they are eligible for, what jobs they can learn and what long-term opportunities are available to them,” Grimm said.
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