That was the clear message Gov. Jay Nixon delivered today during a stop in Carthage, as he kicked off Show-Me Heroes, a new initiative to connect military veterans with job opportunities when they return home from service.

Show-Me Heroes, an outreach of the Missouri Career Center system, is a campaign to showcase Missouri businesses that are willing – and eager – to hire veterans. Specifically, the program asks employers to sign a pledge to ramp up efforts to reach out to, recruit and interview veterans for job openings at their businesses.

“Missouri’s military veterans have served honorably and bravely to fight terror and secure our freedom around the world,” Gov. Nixon said. “Veterans also possess unique skills and advanced training that make them ideal candidates for many jobs. Show-Me Heroes is one clear way we can acknowledge the sacrifices made by the men and women of our Armed Services to keep our families safe and secure, and help our veterans transition to civilian life once they return home. I thank the businesses from across Missouri that have taken the Show-Me Heroes pledge, and I encourage every Missouri business to make this commitment today.”

Gov. Nixon visited Schreiber Foods in Carthage this morning before heading to a similar stop in Springfield. During his visit, Gov. Nixon spoke about the importance of the program and thanked the businesses for becoming involved. Lt. Col. Alan Rohlfing, the director of Show-Me Heroes, also detailed how other businesses can take the pledge.

“Taking the Show-Me Heroes pledge couldn’t be easier,” Lt. Col. Rohlfing said. “Employers can visit the state Web site – www.MO.gov – and take the pledge today. I urge employers across Missouri to log on and become a part of this campaign now.”

Once a company has taken the Show-Me Heroes pledge, the business is listed prominently in an online database, highlighting veteran-friendly employers across Missouri. The database includes contact information for the businesses and links to their Web sites. Employers also receive a special certificate, signed by the Governor, and a decal to display at their location.

Beyond the employer directory, the Show-Me Heroes Web site includes additional resources for job-seeking veterans. The site offers links to employment openings within state government, and a link to the Missouri Career Source, a statewide one-stop-shop for Missourians looking for work.

“Missouri’s veterans are trained, dedicated and ready to work,” Gov. Nixon said. “As we continue our efforts to turn this economy around, I am committed to getting our veterans back on the job. I ask every employer in Missouri to visit MO.gov today to take the Show-Me Heroes pledge.”

Show-Me Heroes is just the latest in a series of steps Missouri has taken to become a premiere veteran friendly state, according to the Governor’s office. Last year, Gov. Nixon signed legislation gradually phasing out the state tax on military retirement income. Under that legislation, by 2016, military veterans will not pay a single penny in state taxes on military pensions.

More information on Show-Me Heroes

• WorkforceZone article from 2/8/2010
• Show-Me Heroes Official State Website
• Show-Me Heroes network on Facebook
• Employers that have signed the pledge in the Southwest Region

Links to news media coverage of Friday’s summit:

• KOAM-TV Online Video
• KOAM-TV Online Article
• KODE-KSN TV/Four States Home Page Online Video
• KODE-KSN TV/Four States Home Page Online Article
• Miami News Record Online Article

Summaries of the summit and next steps are being compiled for participants to review in preparation for events in April and June.  Check back with WorkforceZone and qsrt.org for updates.

MSSU’s Robert Plaster Free Enterprise and Cornell Auditorium, Room 201 is the location for Thursday’s event, running from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.   Hosts include MSSU’s Small Business & Technology Development Center, the MSSU Center for Entrepreneurship, Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Joseph Newman Innovation Center.  GovFest is part of the sponsors’ recognition of National Entrepreneurship Week, which runs February 20-27.

Representatives of more than two dozen service providers will be on hand with exhibits, brief presentations, and Q&A visits.  Business owners can discover opportunities for funding, training, research, and numerous other impact categories.   To register or obtain more information, call 417-625-3128 or use this email link.

Following a busy holiday season and kickoff for 2010, regional leaders are ready for follow-up on strategies refined at the November regional visioning summit at Bentonville. The event includes a forum on economic recovery progress to kickoff the summit. Lunch and refreshments are included at no charge to attendees.

Summit Agenda:

• Focus Group Forum on Economic Recovery Progress (in conjunction with the Southern Growth Policies Board)
• Networking Lunch
• Recap of November Summit Outcomes
• Breakout Sessions on Next Steps
• Green Sector Survey
• Summit Closing and General Announcements

Interested  attendees may register online at the link below or send their contact information by email to scloyd@joplincc.com.  Questions or ideas for the summit may be directed to Jasen Jones by calling 417-206-1717 or by email to ceo@workforcezone.net.  For interested stakeholders not able to attend the event onsite, the WIB is planning to offer a live web video stream of the summit.  Remote viewers may sign-up and select the streaming option through the same registration link below.

• Register Online
• Campus/Area Map with Meeting Location (PDF)

Background for the February Summit

Stakeholders met previously in November at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport in Bentonville.   Guest moderators Jason Gatz and Tom Miller facilitated group discussions on the start of a SWOT analysis and emerging themes for regional planning based on targeted phone interviews of regional leaders.  Attendees provided valuable insights through breakout sessions on regional opportunities, priorities, and possible obstacles.  The February summit is set to debut a summary report of regional efforts to date.

Leading off the summit is a focus group forum session on regional economic recovery progress.    The February 19th opening session is held in collaboration with the Southern Growth Policies Board as part of a network of other community forums across a network of thirteen other southern states.  Titled, The Road to Recovery…Making Choices for Your Community, insights from the Four-States event at NEO are factored in the overall research report to southern states Governors and business leaders later in 2010.

Governor Jay Nixon’s initiative seeks to reward these efforts by including businesses among those referred to as ‘Show-Me Heroes.’  Just by going to the Show-Me Heroes website and submitting a simple electronic form, the business’s name will be prominently displayed along with the names of every other employer who has pledged to hire a Missouri Veteran.

Employers designated as “Show-Me Heroes” acknowledge the burdens and sacrifices made by members of our Armed Forces in order to preserve our national security. They also recognize that many of these Veterans, in addition to current members of the National Guard and Reserve, are seeking work with Missouri employees and possess the training, education, motivation, and character that is vital in today’s workforce.

“Show-Me Heroes” pledge to:

• Reach out to Missouri’s Veterans and members of our National Guard and Reserve in order to employ excellence in Missouri’s workforce.
• Take full advantage of Show-Me Heroes to effectively match qualified Veteran and members of our National Guard and Reserve job seekers with appropriate job openings.
• Provide increased employment interview occasions and enhanced hiring opportunities to our Veterans and members of our National Guard and Reserve of the Great State of Missouri.

Missouri Career Centers also provide resource linkages helpful to businesses in their pursuits for hiring vets.  Resources include the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, On-the-Job Training wage resources under the GI Bill, Vocational Rehab, National Emergency Grants, and the Hero at Home program.   Interested businesses may contact the Missouri Career Center in Joplin at 417-629-3000 and ask for the Veterans Employment Representative.

The Missouri Career Centers and the WIB’s Dislocated Worker Program stand ready to assist individuals in need with tuition assistance and other services. View or download the PDF flyer for more information.  The MARET Center may be reached by phone at 417-455-5666.   To contact the Missouri Career Center in Joplin, call 417-629-3000, or in Monett, 417-235-7877.

“CSW is not new to the field of promoting excellence in local workforce boards,” noted Jasen Jones, Executive Director of the Southwest Missouri WIB.  ”The WIB Quality Benchmarking national body of research published by CSW in 2006 helped set a baseline and chart the progress of our WIB and dozens of others across the country.”

Jones anticipates using the new CSW report as a tool to engage stakeholders in the growing work of the local WIB and the opportunities emerging for federal workforce policy reform.  As one of two Missouri representatives in CSW’s Workforce Innovators Network and the current Secretary/Treasurer for Training and Employment Administrators of Missouri, Jones is eager to expand the scope of influence for local WIBs in state and national workforce legislation and resources.

• The Critical and Emerging Role of Workforce Investment Boards:  How Federal Policy Can Incite Workforce Innovation (PDF Download)
• WIB Quality Benchmarking

The Workforce Investment Board of Southwest Missouri uses powerful research tools for a sneak peak at the region’s fastest growing industry clusters. The countdown region includes 12 counties surrounding the Joplin metro with the key Interstate 44 and U.S. Highway 71 corridors.

Opening the countdown is the advanced materials cluster. Complex refining and production industries – such as chemicals, explosives and pharmaceuticals – are projected to add 166 jobs in 2010. Other manufacturing clusters showing promise include transportation equipment, computer/electronic products and metals. Combined, these producers could net 200 additional new jobs.

In at No. 9 is education and knowledge creation, with the potential for 175 new jobs. Population growth means increased demand for public school teachers. The recession prompted many to re-train for different careers, contributing to the need for more instructors at area colleges.

Projections show 204 new jobs possible in the printing and publishing industry, making it the eighth-fastest growing cluster. Digital printing companies are expected to drive most of this growth.

As the national spotlight shines on fossil and renewable energy clusters, the region could add as many as 234 new jobs and comes in at a No. 7 ranking. Energy production often gets the glory, but keep in mind the manufacturing/distribution supply chain that supports energy production globally. The Joplin region’s legacy workforce and industry base are well-aligned to prosper.

The No. 6 spot goes to information technology and telecommunications with 384 new jobs projected. Demand is on the rise for software, network and computer support jobs. More electricians are needed as well. Rural and domestic sourcing trends are important to watch as more decision-makers discover the benefits of regional economies like Joplin.

With the potential of 434 new jobs, the defense and security cluster holds strong at No. 5. Mostly in the Joplin and Bentonville, Ark., areas, these are local companies that support national defense. Big drivers for defense support include several computing jobs found in the technology sector.

No. 4 on the countdown is the cluster of arts, entertainment, recreation and visitor industries. Hospitality-support jobs and local tourist attractions remain strong as 447 new jobs are needed to keep pace with expected growth.

Biomedical and biotechnical life sciences could result in 535 new jobs this year and the third fastest-growing cluster. Job growth in healthcare support is a given. The bio supply chain also shows promise for local manufacturing and distribution with increased global demand for goods.

Transportation and logistics is the No. 2 powerhouse with 1,463 new jobs projected. Survival of the fittest may be at play with closures and downsizing among smaller trucking firms that made headlines in 2009. Compared to the national average for trucking, the region has nine times as much activity among local companies.

At the No. 1 spot with the potential for 1,580 new jobs is the business and financial services cluster. Professional and technical talent abounds to support general office functions as well as finance, insurance and real estate. Entry-level clerical and customer care opportunities are available and high demand exists for accountants, analysts and information technology professionals at the higher end as well.

No countdown would be complete without a look at “future hits.” The Joplin Regional Prosperity Initiative includes several key players and trends to watch in 2010. Leaders remain focused on improving education of the workforce, retaining and growing local firms and fostering innovative business startups. Regional collaboration efforts among economic development and education that launched in 2008 and 2009 have explosive impact potential for 2010 as well.

Though layoffs persist, and job opportunities are limited, HR managers expect exempt and nonexempt hiring to outpace job cuts in both the manufacturing and service sectors this month, according to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) LINE® Report.

The SHRM LINE — Leading Indicators of National Employment — hiring index also shows a year-over-year positive gain of 37.8 points expected for manufacturing hiring during January, and 21.1 points for service sector hiring.

A closer look at manufacturing sector year-over-year numbers show that a net of 17.6 percent of surveyed companies plan to hire in January 2010 compared with the net of 20.2 percent that laid off workers in January 2009.

In the service sector, year-over-year numbers show a net of 11.3 percent of companies will add jobs in January of this year compared with the net of 9.8 percent that cut jobs same month last year.

The findings are detailed in the January 2009 SHRM LINE Report, a set of labor market indicators that tracks four national employment measures: (1) job expectations; (2) job vacancies; (3) new-hire compensation; and (4) recruitment difficulty. In short, LINE provides a snapshot of anticipated hiring for the month ahead and also examines data from the previous month.

“Albeit a slow rise, the small increase in job openings in both sectors is a sign that economic conditions may finally be starting to improve,” said Jennifer Schramm, manager of workplace trends and forecasting at SHRM. “Unsurprisingly, the new-hire compensation index is likely to remain flat as long as the number of job seekers for relatively few spots remains high and competition fierce.”

Are salaried job openings increasing?—Yes:

• Exempt vacancies (manufacturing sector) – December 2009 findings show a net total of 12.2 percent of HR professionals reported increases in exempt, primarily salaried, jobs available. (Specifically, 21.8 percent reported increases while 9.6 reported decreases.)
• Examined year-over-year, the manufacturing sector exempt vacancies represent a 25 point increase from December 2008, and the fifth straight month that exempt vacancies are higher compared to one year ago.
• Exempt vacancies (service sector) – A net total of 5 percent of firms reported an increases in exempt job vacancies in December. (Specifically, 13.5 percent reported increases while 8.5 percent reported decreases.)
• Examined year-over-year, the service sector exempt vacancies represent an 18.8 point increase from December 2008. The service sector, like the manufacturing sector, also experienced a fifth straight month during which exempt vacancies were higher compared to the previous year.

The vacancy rate for nonexempt jobs is up:

• Nonexempt vacancies (manufacturing sector) – December numbers show a net total of 7.7 percent of HR managers reported an increase in their company’s nonexempt, or hourly, employment vacancy rate. (Specifically, 17.6 percent reported increases while 9.9 percent reported decreases.)
• Examined year-over-year, the nonexempt employment vacancy rate for manufacturing jobs represents a 27.1 point increase from one year ago.
• Nonexempt vacancies (service sector) – A net total of 4.4 percent reported an increase in hourly job vacancies in December. (Specifically, 14.9 percent reported an increase while 10.5 percent reported a decrease.)
• Examined year-over-year, the December 2009 service sector nonexempt employment vacancy rate marks a 27.9 point increase from December 2008.

Trends in new-hire compensation packages and recruiting difficulty:

The new-hire compensation index reports previous month data. December 2009 numbers show more service sector companies increased new-hire salaries and benefits than reduced them. LINE data show that 2.5 percent of surveyed service sector HR professionals said their company increased compensation compared with 1.8 percent who reported decreases — a net total of 0.7 percent.

Compared year-over-year, the net total marks a decline from December 2008 when a net total of 4 percent of service companies increased new-hire compensation.

In the manufacturing sector, a net total of 0.1 percent of HR respondents said their company decreased new-hire compensation in December 2009, a number unchanged from December 2008. A closer look shows that the responses nearly cancel one another — 2.7 percent increased compensation packages last month while 2.8 reduced compensation packages.

The recruiting difficulty index shows HR managers had an easier time filling jobs during December 2008 than December 2009. “It could be that some categories of job seekers are finding work more quickly than they did a year ago,” said Schramm.

LINE is based on a monthly survey of human resource professionals at more than 500 manufacturing and 500 private service-sector companies. Together, these two sectors comprise more than 90 percent of America’s private sector employment.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world’s largest association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 250,000 members in over 140 countries, the Society serves the needs of HR professionals and advances the interests of the HR profession. Founded in 1948, SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China and India. Visit SHRM Online at www.shrm.org.

The Challenge web site provides direct access to job boards and other tools that allow users to apply for open positions across industries at companies and organizations around the country.   What’s more, everyone who logs on to the site will have an opportunity to cast votes for the tools they find most useful, and post comments.   This feedback will help the workforce system identify valuable tools to make available through the One Stop system, and will help future job seekers quickly find online tools that meet their needs.

DOL has been reaching out to businesses and organizations around the country and asking them to enter their online tools in the challenge.   The response has been impressive, with nationally known companies, regional and niche tools, and new and emerging sites joining the challenge.   Now is the time for workforce professionals and job seekers to provide feedback on these online career resources, and of course, to use the sites to find jobs and help explore career opportunities.

• Tools for America’s Job Seekers Challenge Website Link
• Informational Flyer (PDF)