In 1998, the wholesale nursery industry represented the largest sector in horticultural sales in the United States and 11% of the total value of U.S. agricultural production. The majority of jobs available in the nursery industry are labor intensive. In Ohio, 60% of the nursery workforce is composed of Hispanic laborers. A survey conducted in 2000 targeting Hispanic nursery workers in Oregon and Ohio revealed a great need for basic technical information in their native language. In order to address this issue in Ohio, a Spanish language nursery tour was developed in 2002 and offered annually thereafter. Conducted entirely in Spanish, the tour focuses on basic technical information in the area of field and container production. Tours take place at commercial nursery sites in the Lake County region of Ohio. Demonstrations at the nurseries have highlighted such practices as planting, pruning, and irrigation. Interest in disseminating more technical information in Spanish to the Hispanic workforce has developed as a result of these tours. In Jan. 2005, supervisors of Hispanic nursery workers were surveyed at the Central Environmental Nursery Trade Show (“CENTS”) in Columbus, Ohio, to determine the level of interest in technical education programs for Hispanic employees (65%) and what programs were needed (Safety 16%, Pruning 14%, and English 13%). A multi-state survey in English and Spanish will be conducted over the next two years (2005 and 2006). The goal of this project is to better understand the backgrounds and technical needs of the workers in seven states filling predominantly manual labor positions, in order to help stabilize and engage the workforce through education.