SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The state of Missouri is making history this week by becoming the first state to adopt an initiative aimed at helping former inmates find and keep a job.

The national initiative is called Reentry 2030.

In seven years, the Missouri Department of Corrections said it wants 100% of its prisoners to have some type of career following their release.

MDOC wants 85 percent of its prisoners to have a job within 30 days of their release and for at least 80 percent of the prisoners who do secure a job after prison to keep that job.

Missouri has around 23,000 prisoners, which is lower than in years past.

In order to for this initiative to work, the state will have to work with different organizations and agencies so they can provide opportunities for prisoners through different types of work.

Some of those jobs included skilled positions such as technicians and engineers.

The unemployment rate in Missouri is 2.6 which is lower than the national average but many businesses around the Ozarks are struggling to find workers to meet the demand.

The state will now turn its attention to forming a group made up of community members and from the state government to form an advisory team for this initiative.

Reentry 2030 hopes to have all 50 states adopt their initiative, with Missouri leading the charge.