Gov. Nixon signs bill to increase scholarships for math and science students, provide resources to train more nurses

Gov. Jay Nixon today used the setting of a leadership program for high school students to sign legislation that provides more scholarships to Missouri students pursuing college degrees in science and math. House Bill 223, signed by the Governor in front of more than 900 students attending Missouri Boys State, also puts additional resources in Missouri’s nursing programs to meet the growing demand for nurses.

“We want to make sure that we’re preparing our students to enter careers where they can be successful in a changing economy,” Gov. Nixon said. “We can do that by identifying industries poised for growth, and aligning our curriculum priorities to meet those needs. Engineers, scientists, innovators and educators play a key role in our global economy. By promoting, encouraging and supporting these core subjects, we can better prepare Missouri’s college students to be competitive in our global economy.”

The section adding resources so Missouri’s colleges and universities can produce more nurses is also critical, the Governor said.

“Missouri needs more nurses, and this bill will help meet that demand,” Gov. Nixon said. “It provides up to $150,000 to each of those programs so they can hire additional faculty to train more nurses. Once it is fully in place, we expect to train more than 130 additional nursing students each year.”

House Bill 223, the Advanced Placement Incentive Grant Program for STEM and Caring for Missourians Nursing Education Incentive, passed both chambers of the Missouri General Assembly with overwhelming bipartisan support.

The legislation establishes a one-time, nonrenewable $500 grant to Missouri public high schools who score a 3 or higher on AP tests in math or science, and who receive an Access Missouri award or A+ scholarship.

This legislation also creates grants up to $150,000 per year, per campus, to higher education institutions to hire nursing faculty to address areas of need. These grants will be funded by dollars generated through nursing licensure fees; the State Board of Nursing and the Department of Higher Education will determine categories and criteria for these grants. Gov. Nixon first announced the proposed initiative last December at the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Nursing.

“I’ve brought that legislation here today to demonstrate that when we stand together on common ground, we can provide for the common good,” Gov. Nixon told the students attending Boys State. “Take the lessons you learn this week about governing, and put them to work in your own lives and careers.”

Missouri Boys State, founded in 1938, is a citizenship and leadership training program held annually in June for high school students who have completed their junior year. Missouri Boys State is sponsored by the Missouri American Legion.

President Obama -- American is Poised to Win the Future

President Barack Obama's weekly radio address for February 19th

I’m speaking to you from just outside Portland, Oregon where I’m visiting Intel, a company that helped pioneer the digital age. I just came from a tour of an assembly line where highly-skilled technicians are building microprocessors that run everything from desktop computers to smartphones.

But these workers aren’t just manufacturing high-tech computer chips. They’re showing us how America will win the future.

For decades, Intel has led the world in developing new technologies. But even as global competition has intensified, this company has invested, built, and hired in America. Three-quarters of Intel’s products are made by American workers. And as the company expands operations in Oregon and builds a new plant in Arizona, it plans to hire another 4,000 people this year.

Companies like Intel are proving that we can compete – that instead of just being a nation that buys what’s made overseas, we can make things in America and sell them around the globe. Winning this competition depends on the ingenuity and creativity of our private sector – which was on display in my visit today. But it’s also going to depend on what we do as a nation to make America the best place on earth to do business.

Over the next ten years, nearly half of all new jobs will require education beyond high school, many requiring proficiency in math and science. And yet today we’ve fallen behind in math, science, and graduation rates. As a result, companies like Intel struggle to hire American workers with the skills that fit their needs.

If we want to win the global competition for new jobs and industries, we’ve got to win the global competition to educate our people. We’ve got to have the best trained, best skilled workforce in the world. That’s how we’ll ensure that the next Intel, the next Google, or the next Microsoft is created in America, and hires American workers.

This is why, over the past two years, my administration has made education a top priority. We’ve launched a competition called “Race to the Top” – a reform that is lifting academic standards and getting results; not because Washington dictated the answers, but because states and local schools pursued innovative solutions. We’re also making college more affordable for millions of students, and revitalizing our community colleges, so that folks can get the training they need for the careers they want. And as part of this effort, we’ve launched a nationwide initiative to connect graduates that need jobs with businesses that need their skills.

Intel understands how important these partnerships can be – recognizing that their company’s success depends on a pipeline of skilled people ready to fill high-wage, high-tech jobs. Intel often pays for workers to continue their education at nearby Portland State University. As a result, one out of every fifteen of Intel’s Oregon employees has a degree from Portland State.

In fact, Intel’s commitment to education begins at an even younger age. The company is providing training to help 100,000 math and science teachers improve their skills in the classroom. And today, I’m also meeting a few students from Oregon who impressed the judges in the high school science and engineering competitions that Intel sponsors across America.

One young woman, Laurie Rumker, conducted a chemistry experiment to investigate ways to protect our water from pollution. Another student, named Yushi Wang, applied the principles of quantum physics to design a faster computer chip. We’re talking about high school students.

So these have been a tough few years for our country. And in tough times, it’s natural to question what the future holds. But when you meet young people like Laurie and Yushi, it’s hard not to be inspired. And it’s impossible not to be confident about America.

We are poised to lead in this new century – and not just because of the good work that large companies like Intel are doing. All across America, there are innovators and entrepreneurs who are trying to start the next Intel, or just get a small business of their own off the ground. I’ll be meeting with some of these men and women next week in Cleveland, to get ideas about what we can do to help their companies grow and create jobs.

The truth is, we have everything we need to compete: bold entrepreneurs, bright new ideas, and world-class colleges and universities. And, most of all, we have young people just brimming with promise and ready to help us succeed. All we have to do is tap that potential.

That’s the lesson on display at Intel. And that’s how America will win the future.

Thank you.