Wangaratta launches first Mini Woolies

WANGARATTA District Specialist School (WDSS) was the 101st site across Australia and New Zealand, and the first in Wangaratta, to open their very own Mini Woolies on Thursday, 8 May. Mini Woolies is a Woolworths Group initiative aimed at supporting young people with disability to acquire a broad range of real-world skills. An interactive, simulated Woolworths environment is installed in schools, tertiary education facilities and disability service providers, complete with fresh produce and various supermarket products, a checkout and shopping baskets. Hayley Nolan, one of three teachers who initiated the Mini Woolies project, said it weaved in perfectly with the school’s mission to set up students for success and opportunities once they’ve left school. “We can have the students learn all about how to stock shelves, understanding how ‘best before’ and expiry dates work, organise ticketing and signage for products, learning how to operate the registers, working with money and so many communication skills that are required in a retail setting,” she said. Ms Nolan said the launch was a “terrific success” and students were excited to have Helen Haines and Woolworths staff attend the opening. “The students showed off their skills by having some shoppers on the day and so they had to operate registers and help with the shelf stacking,” she said. Students were also thrilled to take part in the initiative and have found the experience beneficial. “It is so much fun to work in the shop,” WDSS student Sam Villela said. “The aprons and badges are cool.” Lily Whalley said working on the cash register made her feel “more confident”, while Riley Coyne was “proud of the shop”. The Mini Woolies site can also be used in a variety of contexts outside of the simulated supermarket experience, and Ms Nolan said all year levels can get involved. “Our younger students will have an opportunity to come and shop and get used to selecting products and handling cash,” she said. “Our middle years and senior students will gain experience working in the store and shopping too. “We will use the store stock as part of our cooking program over the next few months. “Students will also then assist in ordering new stock, stacking shelves and keeping the store clean.” Sarah Corey, general manager of enterprise operations and Mini Woolies at Woolworths Group, said launching the Mini Woolies has been a great experience. She was appreciative of the teamwork between local store team members in Wangaratta, the team at Fujitsu and the school community, and looks forward to what this space will offer. “We hope this new space will provide a unique learning experience for the students, and we’re excited to see how it will help build confidence and achieve their goals,” Ms Corey said.

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