Global experience is an Australian privately-owned company established in 1999. The company started with one woman’s passion to provide a valuable service and has grown extensively. Today Global experience has over 5,000 host families in Sydney, Melbourne and Darwin and we have served accommodation placements to over 120,000 students. Global experience was founded by Sonia Ortega, an immigrant born in Argentina and arriving in Australia in the late 1970’s. With a young family and facing the challenges of learning a new language while adapting to living in a foreign country, Sonia quickly acclimated with her family to Australian culture, but not without a unique perspective of a new resident from another nation. Because of Sonia Ortega’s unique experience moving to Australia, Global experience has particular insight into the needs of international students. Sonia used her skills as Student Services Officer, Homestay parent, Counsellor and Internal Audit Officer when creating the vision for her company’s structure and policies, ensuring that Global experience ‘bridge the gap’ between families, students and educational institutions. Global experience is recognised as having a unique culture of a warm and personal contact in an era of increasing detachment in the area of customer service. This culture attracts likeminded host families and employees that are ideal to meet the students’ needs. Currently Global experience employs native speakers of Chinese, Indonesian, Portuguese and Spanish staff who act as translators when and as the need arises. The processes and procedures in place ensure reliable and consistent high standards are delivered to maintain Global Experience’s unique and vitally important culture. Only well-trained staff liaise with external parties, host families, students and educational institutions. Global experience offers standard homestay (for both over 18 and under 18), self-catered homestay, VIP homestay, caregiver and airport transfers.
