With full production of a newly invented camera just months away, Sydor Instruments turned to RochesterWorks! to help fill some unique job openings related to the groundbreaking camera. A first in its class, the camera requires a special skill set. The Sydor ROSS (Rochester Optical Streak System) camera takes high-speed snapshots of very fast light, such as lasers, and turns those images into data.

Able to capture data with much higher precision than other streak cameras, the Sydor ROSS requires engineers with special skill sets to assemble and test it.

"The ROSS is a specialized instrument," said Michael Pavia, president of Sydor Instruments in Henrietta. "The key is finding the right individual who has the foundation we need for further training (on the ROSS)." Pavia went to RochesterWorks! Business Services and met with Connie Felder, now Director of RochesterWorks! Downtown Career Center and Claudia Gately, Business Services Manager, who helped Sydor Instruments navigate the paperwork and application process for becoming part of the On-the-Job Training (OJT) Program. RochesterWorks! OJT Program reimburses companies 50% of total wages paid to trainees as they learn new skills.

Gately assisted Pavia in developing the job descriptions based on information available through the Occupational Information Network (O*Net) , a comprehensive database of occupational information made available through the United States DOL. The jobs were then posted through RochesterWorks! and the New York State DOL job bank. Résumés were prescreened according to the job requirements, narrowing the field to only well-qualified candidates. Sydor Instruments then interviewed these candidates and hired an electrical engineer who best fit their needs.

"This is our first specialized product," said Pavia. "We have other products in the pipeline, which will require further training to service them." In fact, Sydor Instruments has already hired another engineer through RochesterWorks!, and plans to recruit additional employees through a more comprehensive effort. "We have an immense talent pool right here in Rochester," added Pavia.