Stellantis’ Belvidere plant is set to pause production on February 28 and lay off all its workers. The Illinois Veterans Drop-in Center of Rockford and its partners are hosting the job and resource fair for those workers, plant suppliers and others affected by the indefinite pause in production.
“We want to make sure that we're looking at resources that will help them with their immediate needs and so they could have that time to look for a comparable job,” said Pamela Lopez-Fettes, the Executive Director of Growth Dimensions and Economic Development for Belvidere and Boone County.
Attendees can find assistance with housing, securing food, and financial and legal support. Regional employers and information on educational and job training opportunities will also be available.
“We want to keep them in the community and employed,” she said. “So, we want to really help them regain employment.”
The job and resource fair is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 15 from 2-5 pm at the United Auto Workers Local 1268, located 1100 W. Chrysler Drive in Belvidere.
Belvidere’s economy includes many Latino-owned businesses. Lopez-Fettes says the organization is planning a resource fair in March with the Illinois Department of Commerce that will be focused on Spanish-speaking employees and business owners.
“We're working on translating from English to Spanish,” she said, “and making it more accessible for all businesses, all individuals in our community.”
For more information on the job fair, call Eric at the Veteran Drop-in Center at 815 713-8843.
