Evaluating Pesticide Applicator Training in Spanish: An Oregon Interagency Pilot

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Occupational Health
• Language Access in Professional Licensing

Background:

• Pesticide applicator licensing is crucial for agricultural safety and compliance.
• Limited access to language-appropriate resources creates barriers for non-English speaking workers.
• Oregon lacks specific training and testing materials in Spanish for pesticide applicator licensing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate barriers faced by Spanish-speakers seeking pesticide applicator licenses in Oregon.
• To assess the effectiveness of a pilot Spanish-language training program.
• To identify areas for improvement in pesticide applicator licensing accessibility.

Main Methods:

• An interagency collaboration developed and delivered a 2.5-day in-person Spanish language pilot training.
• Forty participants took Spanish pesticide applicator licensing exams (Oregon and Washington).
• Surveys and interviews were conducted to evaluate the training and identify barriers.

Main Results:

• 56% of participants had 6+ years of pesticide experience; 55% had 8th grade education or less.
• All participants cited the Spanish training as a key reason for attendance.
• Only 15% passed the Washington exam, and 5% passed the Oregon exam, indicating low success rates.

Conclusions:

• Significant access gaps persist for Spanish-speaking workers in pesticide applicator licensing.
• The pilot program demonstrated the need for language-appropriate resources.
• Low pass rates suggest a need for program enhancement, additional support, and policy review.