YOUTH CAREER INITIATIVE

1
YOUTH CAREER INITIATIVE
2
What is YCI?

• A six month education and employability programme
  for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds
• Mobilising the human, financial and operational
  resources of the international hotel industry to
  provide participants with life and vocational
  skills
• Allowing private, public and non-profit sectors
  to work in partnership to make a positive global
  impact

3
Who is the target group?

• Young people who
• are a minimum of 18 years old and a maximum of 21
  years old
• have recently completed high school (or
  equivalent)
• can commit full time for the duration of the
  programme
• have no other opportunities to improve their
  employability

4
YCI tackles major social issues worldwide

• Target groups vary according to the needs of the
  host country to address pressing social problems,
  for instance
• Youth unemployment
• Poverty
• Social exclusion
• Sexual exploitation
• Human trafficking

5
How does YCI work?

• The programme aims to devote 40 of the training
  to classroom education
• The other 60 is practical training in over 15
  hotel departments
• It utilises and integrates established hotel
  training programmes
• Education and training is conducted by hotel
  management teams and guest presenters
• Classroom education includes instruction in
  personal development, career preparation and
  work-related skills
• The programme maintains an emphasis on personal /
  life skills development

6
Curriculum

• Core Global Programme - including Personal
  Development Skills, English Language, Computer
  Literacy and Job Preparation
• Job Specific Sessions - teaches skills such as
  Personal Presentation, Customer Service,
  Telephone Techniques, Work Safety and Team Work
• Department Overviews - introduces participants
  into all areas of the hotel operation including
  Housekeeping, Kitchen, Events, Engineering
  Property Maintenance, Human Resources and
  Security
• Elective Education Sessions - includes workshops
  and lectures in Adult Health Education, Business
  Personal Etiquette, Tourism and the Hospitality
  Business and Craftwork

7
Who is involved?

• HOTELS - provide the resources to run the
  programme
• LOCAL NGO(s) - support the programme locally
• YCI GLOBAL TEAM - maintain overall responsibility
  for YCI globally
• PUBLIC SECTOR - support the recruitment of
  students and provide other allowances
• PRIVATE SECTOR - provide complementary benefits
  eg. Stationery, hygiene products

8
Why is it run in five star hotels?

• The high standards and large variation of
• departments and functions within a full-service
• hotel mean that
• Participants are able to experience over 20 areas
  of an international business eg. catering,
  engineering and sales
• Participants gain a range of job-related skills
• Education and training are integral to a hotels
  success which means it provides the right
  learning environment for the programme
• They have the necessary facilities to run the
  programme such as training rooms

9
How do hotels benefit from YCI?

• Presents an opportunity to tackle major country
  issues including poverty, youth unemployment and
  youth exploitation
• Enables the hotel to be a leader in engaging with
  the local community
• Provides a tangible, measurable and high impact
  CSR initiative by optimising the use of hotels
  resources
• Offers managers and other associates an
  opportunity for professional development and
  community engagement
• Results in trained participants with knowledge
  and experience of the hospitality industry

10
Global presence
11
YCI in Ethiopia
12
YCI in Ethiopia

• Launched in 2005
• Sheraton Addis (only qualifying hotel)
• Runs one YCI programme every year
• Limited potential for expansion until new
  qualifying hotels are established in the market

13
Case Study

• Personal Profile
• Name Yalemzewd Tadesse
• Date of Birth December 2, 1983
• Mother Unemployed
• Father Died when she was 7 years-old
• Siblings 1 brother and 2 sisters
• Place of residence Village far away from Addis
  Ababa city centre

14
Yalemzewds YCI experience

• Classroom-based sessions in life and work skills
• Practical training in over 15 hotel areas
• Showed interest in the finance department
• Learned important work skills, business processes
  and how to use office equipment
• Strong desire to work, learn more and grow
  professionally and personally
• Self-confident and self-reliant

15
YalemzewdsCareer Progression after YCI

• 2005 Found a job in a utility company, Waterworks
  Construction Enterprise - Responsible for General
  Services
• 2006 Joined a six-month Management Trainee
  programme at Union Bank S.C.
• Appointed Junior Loan Officer
• 2007 Promoted to Loan Officer, Category 1
• 2008 Promoted to Loan Officer, Category 2

16
YOUTH CAREER INITIATIVE www.youthcareerinitiative.
org