Nixon signs bill to expand Show-Me Heroes program - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff

Nixon signs bill to expand Show-Me Heroes program

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Christy Millweard - bio | email
Gov. Nixon said he hopes it makes a strong statement that Missouri businesses hire veterans. Gov. Nixon said he hopes it makes a strong statement that Missouri businesses hire veterans.
JACKSON, MO (KFVS) -

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon signed a bill (HB 1680) Tuesday, to help soldiers and their families.

Nixon said he hopes it makes a strong statement that Missouri businesses hire veterans.

The Show-Me Heroes program help men and women who have served find jobs, once they return home to Missouri. To date, the program has helped more than 1,600 find jobs within the 2,1118 businesses that participate.

With this new bill, it would add on-the-job training, and make spouses also eligible for the program.

"We want to put these dollars in training specifically to make a real difference. We've seen challenges there where folks have capabilities, but don't have the certifications yet, whether its for driving, handling certain types of things, whether its in the medical area, we want to make sure we're tying that bridge as tightly as possible," said Nixon.

Nixon said the idea for the program started from a talk with soldiers in Iraq as they were putting on their gear to go fight.

"I said to one of them, I said, what concerns you, what scares you, you're getting ready to go out, loaded up for war here, and the guy turned to me and said Gov, you know what scares me, is having a job when I get home," said Nixon.

Nixon toured Missouri Plastics Tuesday. The business is just one of the more than 2,000 companies in the program.

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