Yalemzewd grew up in Golam Mikael, an underprivileged area of Addis Ababa. After her father’s death, the family moved to Higher Tena, which is another village far away from the city centre. In order to afford to support her family, Yalemzewd’s mother had to partition their small house and rent out the four small rooms.
Yalemzewd completed her Grade 12 from the government public high school in Addis Ababa. It was here that Yalemzewd noticed a recruitment poster for YCI trainees in Sheraton Addis.
The Programme
During Yalemzewd’s participation in the programme, she showed great interest in the Finance Department, where she spent more time learning skills in the different areas, from accounting and purchasing to cost control.
Yalemzewd’s mentor and trainer within the hotel said: “After her training, she gained more confidence. She attentively listened to instructions and asked questions. She was punctual, responsible and respected the hotel rules and regulations. She easily understood tasks assigned and was always willing to cooperate with team members.”
During the last week of the YCI programme, the hotel conducted a series of trainings in how to write a CV, present oneself for an interview and simulated an employment interview process. The participants were taught how to navigate the job application process and showed where to look for jobs. The successful completion of traineeship culminated with the first graduation of YCI participants in September 2005.
"The YCI programme gave Yalemzwed the necessary skills and strength to overcome challenges in life and gave her a positive outlook for the future."
Outcomes
Yalemzwed’s first job was with the Waterworks Construction Enterprise as responsible for general services. Following this, she began work as a Graduate Trainee with United Bank S.C., a local bank operating 19 branches in Addis Ababa and 30 nationwide, where she was taught in-depth skills in domestic banking, loan operations, and foreign banking.
In October 2006, after six months of training, she was assigned in a permanent position of Junior Loan Officer at one of the branches in Addis Ababa. In November 2007 she was promoted to Loan Officer 1. Her continued exemplary performance merited another promotion the following year, in February 2008.