JANESVILLE, Wis. -- Almost 160,000 people are unemployed in Wisconsin.

No county has been hit harder by job loss than Rock County, where the closure of the General Motors plant in Janesville hasn't only affected its employees, but workers of other companies as well.

Lear Corp., a major General Motors supplier, has shut down two-and-a-half of its three shifts. Severance packages aren't retirement packages so Lear employees were largely faced with the choice of finding another job or going to school to retrain for a new career.

Two men who used to work at Lear are now in a culinary arts class at Janesville's Blackhawk Technical College. Jim Bade and Michel Melton, partners for a hands-on portion of the class, are close to having to make a presentation. Their stress is noticeable.

"You want them to be medium rare. You don't want to lose the flavor of the lamb. If you overdo it, you'll waste good quality meat, I think," Bade is overheard saying to Melton.

"We have to plate up our presentation in 15 minutes. And we haven't thought about what we're going to do for color yet," continues Bade.

Both men agree, though, that their worries in class are nothing compared to the concerns that they had over the last several weeks about losing their jobs.

"I've never been fired or let go," says Bade, who worked for Lear for 12 years. "So knowing I could do nothing about it was sickening."

Neither Bade, 37, nor Melton, 36, planned to leave their jobs at Lear. But now they said that they feel that being forced out may have been a blessing in disguise.

Melton had worked for Lear for eight years.

"The auto industry is such a fluctuating thing. It is hard to plan a life around it. Knowing how to cook, I can cook anywhere, anytime in the world!" he said.

"This is a million times better! I hated working at Lear. It took a part out of me. I was just there for my family," Bade said.

Back in the kitchen, concern returns to getting a passing grade.

Fortunately, the instructor seems impressed. He is overheard to say, "And the colors, staying off the rim. Exactly how it should look. Nice job on that. Very nice!"

Encouraging words that support both Bade's and Melton's decision to come to school here.

"If we get the right job," says Bade, "and we'll then be enjoying ourselves. That's the most important part."

Bade and Melton earned at Lear on average $20 to $25 an hour plus benefits.

However, they believe that with the right opportunity -- becoming an executive chef or running their own restaurant -- they can make even more.