People with a disability and autism now have access to real-life learning on how to do supermarket jobs thanks to a joint initiative between a local college and a supermarket giant.
Woolworths and STEPS Pathways College have teamed up to create an immersive simulated supermarket space for students with disabilities.
Rather than a fully operational store, a converted classroom has been set up to simulate the operations of an actual Woolworths supermarket with baskets for fresh food, shelving for groceries, ticketing, signage and Woolworths-branded uniforms, as well as two registers.
Mini Woolies STEPS will serve as an accessible learning environment where individuals can hone their skills in customer service, money handling, stock management and other retail operations. Additionally, it will foster the development of essential broader skills like communication, confidence and independence.
The new Mini Woolies in Caloundra is the fourth of its kind to launch in Queensland. It joins more than 110 sites across Australia and New Zealand.
“Launching this Mini Woolies has been lots of fun, made possible by the incredible teamwork between our local store team members, Fujitsu and the STEPS team,” Sheila O’Reilly from Woolworths Group said.
“We hope this new space will provide a unique learning experience for young people with disabilities and we’re excited to see how it will help students build confidence and achieve their goals.”
STEPS Pathway College is a holistic college designed to provide young adults living with a disability and autism with the skills needed to live independently.
The college is the first and only of its kind in Australia, providing a live-and-learn model of education aimed at changing the future for people with a disability and autism in Australia.
It offers a day program for local students and a boarding program available to students Australia-wide.
“We are extremely proud to launch the STEPS Mini Woolies site and look forward to the countless number of opportunities it will provide our students to practice new skills in an extremely engaging learning environment,” said Stephanie Patey, the STEPS Pathways College executive principal and CEO of STEPS social business.
“Our STEPS Mini Woolies site will be an incredible addition to STEPS Pathways College and will further enable us to provide our students with holistic education that empowers them with the skills and confidence to reach for the sky and live their very best life.”
