People with disability are set to benefit from a new 'Mini Woolies' simulated supermarket experience training facility at South Metropolitan TAFE's Bentley campus - the first at a Western Australian TAFE campus.
Since 2018, more than 6,000 people with disability throughout Australia and New Zealand have had the opportunity to train in a Mini Woolies space.
South Metropolitan TAFE is the first Western Australian vocational training provider to partner with the Woolworths Group to deliver the innovative training experience.
Mini Woolies at Bentley has been equipped with shelving and store equipment, including signage, ticketing, point-of-sale registers with educational money, and grocery and non-perishable items, helping to bring the look and feel of a supermarket space to life.
The Mini Woolies initiative is designed to give students with disability the opportunity to develop hands-on skills in numeracy, literacy and communication within a simulated retail environment.
Mini Woolies at Bentley will train students in retail electives, which form part of the Certificate I in Gaining Access to Training and Employment (GATE) course.
Certificate I in GATE supports students to develop their reading, writing, numeracy, digital, communication and personal skills, which are crucial to participating in the workforce. The course helps to build a student's confidence so they can pursue further vocational training pathways, such as Certificate II and III qualifications, or take up employment opportunities.
WA's vocational training system provides foundational skills training through a variety of language, literacy, numeracy and employability courses that set people up to participate in further training opportunities.
To help Western Australians who face barriers in accessing vocational training, the State Government also offers additional supports to students training in approved equity courses, such as mentoring and counselling, assistance with transport and special equipment or facilities.
Participation of students with disability in WA's vocational training system continues to grow with publicly funded enrolments increasing by 13.4 per cent this year to the end of 30 September 2024.
Certificate I in GATE is open for enrolments at the Bentley campus in Semester 1, 2025.
To learn more about foundational skills training and fee-free courses, visit this page on our jobsandskills.wa.gov.au website or contact your local Jobs & Skills Centre on 13 64 64.