ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ) – There was a stream of workers filing out of the Shopko headquarters in Ashwaubenon on Friday with their personal belongings packed into a cardboard box.
It was the last day for most people there.
That includes Brian Cassidy, who ironically, started twenty years ago to the day.
“I was planning to retire here,” he explains.
The personal anniversary and sad occasion made it quite the emotional day for him.
“I went around and said my goodbyes to people this morning,” says Cassidy.
Yet, he still considers himself one of the lucky ones, since he already has a new job lined up.
“Until I accepted the job yesterday, it was extremely stressful because I have bills to pay a new house that I just bought,” said Cassidy.
Officials with Bay Area Workforce Development say, unfortunately, too many people like Brian have been entering the job search market this past year.
“The retail sector as a whole has had a really tough time,” explains Matt Valiquette, the program manager at Bay Area Workforce Development. “Just in our area alone, we’ve seen roughly 3,000 people impacted with permanent job loss in the industry.”
But, there should be some good news on the horizon.
He’s expecting these displaced workers from Shopko to be a hot commodity.
“No shortage of local employers who are interested in accessing this very talented and experienced workforce,” says Valiquette.
Backing up his sentiments, Bay Area Workforce Development is reporting that around fifty companies are looking to hire Shopko employees with various skills.
To ease the process a little, Bay Area Workforce Development held a career fair inside the headquarters and the distribution centers.
For some, it was a very positive experience.
“That was extremely helpful,” says Cassidy. “I talked to several companies and they came in and did mock interviews.”
Not only was it a sour day at the headquarters, but the impact is also being felt at their distribution center and all of their retail locations.
160 employees will be out of a job at the distribution center by May.
Valiquette says those jobs will be easier to fill than administrative jobs and he hopes that some will explore other careers.
“We know advanced manufacturing in our area is a high demand industry that is only likely going to increase,” he says.
As Shopko stores close for good in the coming months, retail workers will also be looking for jobs.
