City News

Just over four years ago, Angesom Tesfasellassie fled his native Eritrea to seek political asylum in Britain, leaving his family behind. Today, the 34-year-old is enjoying a new life in Birmingham – working in a hotel and studying for a diploma in graphic design.

Angesom was among a number of unemployed people hired at a recruitment fair by the Radisson SAS Hotel, Birmingham ahead of its opening in 2006. He began as a concierge and now works as a guest service agent.

“I still feel homesick and miss my family, but I am happy in Birmingham and can see a bright future ahead of me,” said Angesom. “The hotel has given me a lot of inspiration and encouragement.”

Roula Samaha, the Radisson SAS’s human resources and training manager, said the hotel – which celebrates its 3rd anniversary on January 16 – employed Angesom because of his positive ‘can do’ attitude, even though he had no previous hospitality industry experience. “His continuing success shows that even in an economic downturn, there are jobs available for people with a positive, go-getting attitude. We are delighted Angesom is still with us and that we have helped him to carve out a new life in Britain. He is a real asset to our team.”

Angesom was granted political asylum in the UK in December 2004 due to the political unrest in Eritrea. “I had done six months’ compulsory military service, but the political and religious situation in the country had reached the point that if I stayed I risked ending up in prison,” he explained. “My uncle encouraged me to get out of Eritrea and come to England.

“It was very scary – I had never been to the UK before and I knew no one. I was sent to Birmingham and it was hard at first: I had an English language degree but I didn’t know much about the culture or the people of England.”

To help him integrate, Angesom took a voluntary position with the Refugee Council in Birmingham. Then he heard about the jobs recruitment fair at the ICC and went along.

“Going for jobs in a strange country is difficult because companies generally want people with experience, but the Radisson SAS Hotel offered me a position on the basis that they would train me – which they did.”

Angesom worked for two years as a concierge and then moved to the hotel reception desk. He is now combining the job with studying for an HND in graphic design, as well as unpaid work experience at Prontaprint in Edgbaston.

“Graphic design was always my dream,” he says. “As a child I used to draw all the time – it’s something that’s inside me. Now I have so many opportunities – I love hospitality and because I have a computer I can combine the two by working at the hotel, studying at Matthew Boulton College and doing work experience to help me build up a good graphic design portfolio.”