SYRACUSE -- When Syracuse China shutdown last year, P.J. Lebeid was one of nearly 300 employees of the plant to find themselves without a job. For Lebeid, a fourth generation employee of the plant, it was a tough day.
"When they called us in there and delivered the blow, full blown men and woman crying, it was devastating," he says.
Lebeid spent the better part of the past year looking for work, applying for up to ten jobs each day. "It was tough every single day. I'd find myself excited thinking maybe this is it and have to start all over," he says.
Lebeid's hard work paid off. Last June, he got a job at Syracuse Crank and Machine in Salina. Instead of sending out resumes, he now spends his days working on the companies website. Lebeid landed his job with the help of CNY Works, The State Department of Labor and the Federal Government which provided the stimulus funding to pay for his 'on the job' training. His advice to those looking for work in Central New York is to stay positive and never give up hope.
"You can't give up, you just got to keep trying. Lucky for me, I don't know if it was God or what, but he delivered me the perfect job," he says.
For more information, click on the NY Labor Department and CNY Works.
