In 2009, at 25 years old, I decided to leave my job at a communication consultancy and move to Australia to learn English. After crossing the desert in a van and traveling from north to south of the island, I chose to extend my stay there. This motivated friends and acquaintances to contact me for information about the possibilities of traveling to this paradise and, additionally, studying English.
The first thing I did was create a Facebook page that allowed me, without any investment, to close my first agreements with schools in several Australian cities. This is how AUssieYouTOO was born in 2012, an online agency whose objective is to help Spanish speakers who want to live a unique experience in Australia.
The business model is very simple: AUssieYouTOO functions as a representative for the schools, and they are the ones who pay us a commission for each student they receive. Our advice to clients is completely free. To date, AUssieYouTOO represents more than 70 schools and institutes across Australia, and we have supported more than 5000 travelers.
Big brands like Hawkers, Adecco, Singapore Airlines, Atrápalo, or Emirates, as well as athletes of the caliber of Maverick Viñales and Ona Carbonell, have participated in marketing and social responsibility campaigns with AUssieYouTOO, to spread a fundamental message: learning or improving one's English level is vital to increase the chances of success in most labor sectors. Furthermore, living an international experience changes your life, opens your mind, and makes you more independent.
The economic crisis, job insecurity, and lack of opportunities have driven the brain drain of Spanish talent abroad. According to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), more than 470,000 people left Spain between 2008 and 2015. The trend in recent years is growing, and young people are increasingly deciding to go out and make a living beyond our borders. One of the impulses that leads these young people to change their environment is, without a doubt, the possibility of learning a second language to, in this way, opt for more and better opportunities from a professional point of view.
The advantages of living abroad are many – getting to know a new culture, traveling, new friendships – but it's not a walk in the park. Not everyone is prepared for such a radical change and, while it is important to have a good sum of money in your pocket, the fundamental factor for a positive experience is attitude.
ENGLISH AND THE 'FEAR OF MAKING A FOOL OF ONESELF'
Many resumes certify an intermediate level of English which, when it comes down to it, translates into basic knowledge that is not very useful for companies. Young people have realized that the only way to learn a language is to practice it 24 hours a day. Spending a year in another country can be the passport to a better job.
Although most Spaniards (64%) consider knowing foreign languages to be "very important," only one in ten young people over 18 is currently learning a foreign language. According to the Cambridge University Barometer, 44% of Spaniards admit that their level of English is 'low' or 'very low'. This percentage has positioned Spain as the country with the worst level of English in the European Union, behind France and Italy.
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND ARE TRENDY
A decade ago, the United States and Great Britain were the preferred countries for Spaniards to learn English. For a couple of years now, Australia and New Zealand have become trendy destinations and not only for their beaches, hot summers, surfing, flora, and fauna. Unlike the United States or Canada, the student visa allows working in the land of kangaroos and kiwis.
According to the Department of Home Affairs, between 2009 and 2010 a total of 1130 student visas were granted to Spaniards, while between 2015 and 2016 it was more than triple (3440).
SEEKING DIFFERENTIATION
After an exhaustive analysis, I came to the conclusion that the main deterrent for those considering Australia as a destination was the vertigo caused by having to land alone in the antipodes. Detecting this reaction, which on the other hand is so logical, led me to create the figure of the COOLaborator, the differentiating element of AUssieYouTOO. This is a person who lives in Australia, speaks Spanish, and mentors the student once they land. Some of their functions include accompanying the newcomer to the bank to open a bank account, buying a SIM card, providing portals for accommodation search, and finally, advising on how to look for employment in the city.
BUSINESS EXPANSION
After six years of hard work, at AUssieYouTOO we have gone from being a startup to a consolidated company with more than 45 employees and a turnover of more than one million euros.
For a year now, I have been focused on Latin America. Last September, together with Paula Valenzuela, my Bogota partner, we opened our first office in Colombia, which will function as a hub to serve all of Latin America. Next September we will travel to Mexico where we have planned a big launch event.
In 2017 we launched KiwiYouTOO for those interested in studying in New Zealand; on September 1, coinciding with the event in Mexico, we plan to inaugurate #CAnadianYouTOO, aimed at those who want to study in Canada, and #SPanishYouTOO, for Latin Americans looking for postgraduate and master's degrees in Spain.
Featured images: 1. Marta and Ona Carbonell enjoying one of Byron Bay's beaches 2. AUssieYouTOO students at one of their barbecues 3. Dawn on the east coast of Australia. Van, breakfast, and surf.