Fresh Food meets Fresh Learning Opportunities: Mini Woolies opening at Wodonga TAFE.

Thursday, 10 October 2024

Fresh Food meets Fresh Learning Opportunities: Mini Woolies opening at Wodonga TAFE.

Wodonga TAFE is partnering with Woolworths to provide a unique learning experience for students with disabilities. The simulated supermarket environment gives students the opportunity to learn essential work skills, assisting with transitions to real workplaces and providing an inclusive experience.

Students enrolled in the Work Education and Transition Education courses will have first hands-on with the program, which is expected to be extended out to other community groups later on.

Wodonga TAFE CEO Phil Paterson says the program is exciting. “We’re so pleased to have this partnership available to our students and the wider community. Making education accessible is a vital part of what we do here at Wodonga TAFE, particularly with our Access Education programs.”

Educational Leader for the Access Education department, Jenni Tauber is optimistic about what the program can provide for students. “We know from experience that our students can really thrive in situations that are tailored to suit the way they learn. This sort of program allows us to work safely and comfortably within a realistic space to help them get the skills they need to live their lives to the fullest.”

The Mini Woolies site simulates the operations of a real-life Woolworths supermarket, with fresh food baskets, grocery shelving, ticketing, signage, Woolworths branded uniforms, and fully operational registers, provided by Fujitsu. Students are able to learn retail, warehousing and customer service skills, as well as life skills like shopping independently.

The new Mini Woolies site at Wodonga TAFE joins over 75 locations in Australia, with Mini Woolies learning spaces set up at specific schools and post-school providers to support students from Kindergarten through to tertiary level education.

General Manager of Enterprise Operations and Mini Woolies at Woolworths Group, Sarah Corey, said: “We're excited to expand our Mini Woolies program even further through this partnership with Wodonga TAFE, and we hope that students at the campus will be able to use the space to build their confidence and independence for experiences in the future."