A training center for agricultural workers is scheduled to open Dec. 1. in Kennewick.

Lacey-based Wafla, formerly known as Washington Farm Labor Association, opened in 2006 and this will be its first training center, said George Zanatta of Kennewick, Wafla’s chief operating officer.

“We are planning to utilize the Kennewick office for training for our ag members — that would range from leadership to supervisor skills for H2A workers — all kinds of trainings related to what growers need,” Zanatta said.

The H-2A program allows agricultural employers to bring foreign workers to the U.S. to fill temporary positions when there are not enough qualified U.S. workers available.

The center also will serve as the office for the chief operating officer and other senior staff.

The need for such a training center is there, Zanatta said, explaining that Wafla is the largest organization west of the Mississippi based on the number of workers it brings in.

“The challenge has been the ag economy has been growing and the local labor force has been decreasing in size. New generations aren’t going to agriculture and they’re going somewhere else and not as many legals are coming in as before,” he said.

Last year, the company brought in more than 10,000 workers from Mexico, Zanatta said. It’s also worked with Haiti and Jamaica and is currently working with Honduras.

“Countries are doing this because it’s a good investment. It brings hard currency to their country,” he said.

Next year, he estimates about 11,000 will come.

“We would be working with the supervisors, members and clients about the H-2A program and leaderships skills to be successful with the program,” he said. “We have the ability to do custom trainings for (Human Resources) for pretty much anything that is required —from filling out documents to orientation to safety and uses of ladders, whatever we can train, we will have the facility to do it.”

The training is critical because supervisors and field managers need it, Zanatta said.

“All around the Tri-Cities is agricultural and we have a lot of workers and companies that are depending on their supervisors and their field managers, and there’s huge numbers of people that have companies that rely on these people and most of these people have been promoted to their positions because … they’re the hardest workers or have been there the longest. They don’t have leadership skills, an understanding of the system or harassment laws … and we’re bringing training to them in their language and nearby so they don’t have to go anywhere else,” Zanatta said.

The Kennewick office will employ three to five people and have space to train about 50 people. Another training center is planned in Yakima.

An open house for Wafla’s new Kennewick office is planned from 3 to 6 p.m. Dec. 1 at 3180 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite I, Kennewick.

For more information, visit wafla.org, call 509-396-7063 or find on Facebook.