Cecile Flewelling

Cecile Flewelling’s journey will be familiar to anyone who’s had to face the daunting task of starting over after a job loss.

Her long-time employer, the ready-to-assemble furniture-maker Ridgewood Industries, shuttered its Cornwall operation in late 2025, leaving more than 300 employees out of work.

Cecile was among them.

“They had already closed their Ohio plant,” says Cecile, who gave nearly 30 years of her working life to Ridgewood. “We had about a year to pull it all together and we lasted two years after that conversation. Then they said they couldn’t do it anymore.”

“We knew it was a possibility. But it was still a shock when they told us.”

Born and raised in the Cornwall area, Cecile had started on the packing line in 1998 and worked her way up to various positions in customer service and shipping and receiving, including coordinating and supervisory roles.

“I’m proud that I get to learn something new that I always wanted to do after I left high school. Here I am at 57, and this is giving me the skills I need to go out there and find a job I’m going to like.”

She had a lot of responsibility, a mix of interesting duties and a secure job … until the day she didn’t.

At 57, Cecile found herself in a significant dilemma.

With grown children aged 38, 36 and 35, as well as 12 grandkids and a great-grandchild, retirement wasn’t on the horizon just yet.

She had her high school diploma and a wealth of experience, but in a very competitive job market, she worried her résumé wasn’t going to stand out enough.

Referred to Contact North by a non-profit agency in Cornwall, Cecile’s new journey began to take shape once she set her sights on office administration.

Contact North Education & Training Advisor Luc Piette helped get the ball rolling.

“I thought, ‘I’m only 57. I can’t retire,’” Cecile says. “Luc took time to find out what would interest me, then sent me the options of what I could take. I said office administration and it took off from there.”

Cecile enrolled in the online-anytime Office Administration Skills for Success program from Good Learning Anywhere, and is now honing her skills in everything from organization and customer service to technology, confidentiality and stress management.

“I’ve been working every day on it. Right now I’m doing a course about organizing skills, which is basically what I was doing at Ridgewood.”

Cecile says she finds the content relevant and good quality so far, and she’s pleased to be accruing essential skills that will make her résumé more competitive.

Once her studies are complete, finding a full-time job is next on the radar.

“That’s my goal and why I’m doing what I’m doing. I’m proud that I get to learn something new that I always wanted to do after I left high school. Here I am at 57 and this is giving me the skills I need to go out there and find a job I’m going to like.”

Cecile hopes her story will help others understand that learning new skills online gives them a chance to reach their goals without having to leave their community.

“You just have to get out and do it and don’t let anybody or anything stop you,” she says. “Even if you’re a certain age, it’s never too late to go back.”