Giving back to the community has been a part of the Job Corps program ever since its inception at the Muhlenberg Job Corps Center in 1974.  Giving back to a community, partnered with learning essential job skills is an even better proposition.  Henderson County Engineer, Bill Hubiak, recently approached the instructors at Muhlenberg with an idea that would help Henderson County in a great way and would be equally as beneficial to students at the local Job Corps.

Henderson County developed a plan to build a handicapped-accessible lake in Sandy Watkins Park.  The problem was sufficient funds to carry out the project.  When Hubiak learned about the heavy equipment operators program at the Job Corps in Greenville, he placed a call to pitch his idea to the staff and students.  After initial meetings were held to iron out details, Henderson County’s dreams for their lake became a reality.  Not only will Henderson County’s dream become a reality, but numerous students at Muhlenberg will gain valuable on the job training.  Hubiak expressed to the Henderson Fiscal Court recently the lake would be built at little charge to the county with the primary focus on benefitting the Job Corps trainees.

Work on the lake began in January and is expected to be completed by late summer or early fall.    Al Abey, Director of Training at the Job Corps center said, “This is a win-win situation for all parties.  Henderson County will get the lake they need and our students will get valuable on the job training that will benefit them the rest of their lives.” 

The whole project will develop approximately seven to eight acres and involve numerous students.  The Muhlenberg Career Development Center serves 405 students from Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida and Virginia.  The program is operated by Horizons Youth Services of Harrisonburg, Virginia in conjunction with the United States Department of Labor.