Seetec supported Liliia to become a self-employed travel agent
Born in Ukraine, Liliia completed her masters degree in finance and spent the next 16 years working in the banking industry before her life was turned upside down by the war.
Liliia’s dream was to start her own business, but after four years supporting her friend’s travel agency in Ukraine, the war began and everything changed.
She, and her children, were forced to move to the UK under the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ initiative which meant she had to give up her job.
Her greatest challenges were the language barrier, and being able to support her daughters.
She made good use of the Duolingo app and taught herself English, knowing she needed to learn the language to be able to secure a job.
Liliia was referred to the Restart Scheme delivered by Seetec by her local Jobcentre as she was having issues finding paid employment.
She wanted to follow her dream of starting her own business and with Seetec’s help, Fly&Joy was born – a travel agency catering to Ukrainians living in the UK.
Self-employed travel agent
Liliia started with Seetec in April 2023 and worked with our self-employment adviser, Richard, to receive help with formally setting up her business.
Seetec also helped her gain a Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) membership.
Fly&Joy was officially launched in September 2023, and the business has been growing ever since.
Liliia has been able to start hiring staff and is now focusing on servicing her growing Ukrainian client base.
She is able to support other Ukrainian speakers too, by offering them jobs.
Award winning
In February 2024 Fly&Joy Travel Agency was accepted into the Travel Trust Association and by March Fly&Joy featured in the Travel Weekly industry magazine.
With over 10,000 followers across her social media platforms, Liliia now has her sights set on obtaining a tour operator’s licence for the UK market.
She tells us; “Richard helped me when I didn’t understand what to do to set up my business and I am very grateful for his help.”
Liliia was recently nominated for the Visa Everywhere, Pioneer 20 list as being one of the top 20 ‘incredible refugee women’ who were giving back and supporting their communities across Europe.
📹You can watch Liliia tell her own story by clicking play on the video at the top of this page. And if you’ve been inspired by her story, ask your Jobcentre coach to refer you to The Restart Scheme.
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