Woolworths and STEPS 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.
The brand new Mini Woolies in Caloundra is the fourth Mini Woolies to launch in Queensland. It joins over 110 sites across Australia and New Zealand.
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.
Sheila O'Reilly from Woolworths Group attended the launch event and said: "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. 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 Pathways 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 as well as a unique Boarding Program available to students across the country.
"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, 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," she said.
About us:
STEPS Pathways College is an intensive training course designed to provide young adults with a disability and autism with the skills needed to live independently. The College is the first and only program 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.
