Muhlenberg Job Corps Center of Greenville, Ky., receives 1st ever Earth Day, Every Day award from Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis

WASHINGTON – The Muhlenberg Job Corps Center of Greenville, Ky., today received the first ever "Earth Day, Every Day" National Green Center Recognition Award from Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis in an Earth Day 40th anniversary ceremony at the U.S. Department of Labor.

"The staff and students of Muhlenberg Job Corps Center have shown great enthusiasm for this commitment to Earth Day and all that it means," Secretary Solis said. "The work they have done is a great example of the direct impact of the Recovery Act funds, and they are an inspiration to the Job Corps program and the nation as a whole."

Students and staff from the Muhlenberg Job Corps Center joined Secretary Solis, Employment and Training Administration Assistant Secretary Jane Oates and Job Corps National Director Edna Primrose at the event.

As part of the funding Job Corps received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the national office of Job Corps created the National Green Center Recognition Awards program to highlight and reward centers that have excelled at incorporating green initiatives into their programs and surrounding communities.

The Muhlenberg Job Corps Center won the highest honor for best exemplifying Job Corps' Recovery Act initiatives by 'greening' its center through waste reduction and energy conservation practices. It also trained its students in green jobs programs and environmentally friendly concepts. ThroughEarth Day Every Day efforts,Job Corps centers across the nation have been implementing programs that preserve the environment, educate students about environmental stewardship and sustainability principles, and improve surrounding communities.

Job Corps, a part of the Labor Department's Employment and Training Administration, is the nation's largest career technical training and education program for students ages 16 through 24. It provides training and support services to more than 100,000 young people each year at 123 centers in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. For more information about Job Corps, call 800-733-JOBS (5627) or visit http://www.jobcorps.gov. For more information about the Recovery Act, visit http://www.dol.gov/recovery/ or http://www.recovery.gov.