Displaced nursing home employees look for new work at job fair

NEW BEDFORD, MASS. (WLNE) – Officials with MassHire estimate that about 450 people will be out of work once all five Skyline nursing homes are closed.

“It’s awful! That one person can destroy so many lives,” said former Rockdale Care and Rehabilitation worker Elizabeth Tweedy. “It’s devastating!”

The career center has stepped in to provide resources for those displaced, which Thursday night included a job fair with 26 health and hospitality employers.

“The real goal here is to get as many people back to work as possible, said James Oliveira of MassHire. “If there is no job here today, there is still a lot of opportunity for them.”

“We’re hoping to be able to employ a lot of these people,” said Laura Lopes of Lifestream. “These are individuals that have been with these companies for a very long time and I know that they are stressed about bills and mortgages and we’re hoping to get them in as soon as possible.”

Yvonne Dalbec and Elizabeth Tweedy both worked for separate nursing homes for upwards of 35 years. Now they say the uncertainty of their next move is what’s most scary.

“It’s hard work,” said Dalbec, through tears. “It’s always been hard work. I’m getting older and it’s getting harder. Maybe I’ll look for something a little bit easier, but I don’t know.”

“I don’t even know how to fill out a resume I never had to,” explained Tweedy. “I was 24 when I started working there. I’m going to be 60!”

But the career center says it plans to help the two women – and whoever else may need it – with both career counseling, and skills training in other areas of work.

The women are hopeful, but say the sting from this whole ordeal is still there.

“That was my home,” said Dalbec.

According to MassHire there were a good amount of on-the-spot hires at Thursday’s job fair, but they know more will be in need, as three more nursing homes are set to close at the end of May.

©WLNE-TV/ABC6 2019