First TAFE-based Mini Woolies helps students gain workplace skills

• South Metropolitan TAFE the first vocational training provider in WA to host a 'Mini Woolies'
• Mini Woolies enables students with disability to develop hands-on skills in a simulated retail environment
• Training facility to help build students' foundational skills for workforce participation
• Enrolments for Certificate I in Gaining Access to Training and Employment now open

People with disability are set to benefit from a new 'Mini Woolies' training facility at South Metropolitan TAFE's Bentley campus.

Training and Workforce Development Minister Simone McGurk and Disability Services Minister Don Punch were the first to 'check-out' the simulated supermarket experience as they officially opened the Mini Woolies at Bentley - 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 please visit jobsandskills.wa.gov.au or contact your local Jobs & Skills Centre on 13 64 64.

Comments attributed to Training and Workforce Development Minister Simone McGurk:

"Training changes lives, and that's why the Cook Government is committed to ensuring everyone has access to vocational training opportunities, regardless of the barriers they may face.

"It's exciting to open the first Mini Woolies at a WA TAFE college - by 'setting up shop' on campus, it is providing a safe and comfortable environment for students with disability to develop their foundational skills and build their confidence.

"The new Mini Woolies at South Metropolitan TAFE's Bentley campus is a fantastic example of the contemporary facilities and fit-for-purpose training environments on offer at WA TAFE colleges.

"The Certificate I in Gaining Access to Training and Employment course, which will be delivered in the Mini Woolies facility, will set students up with literacy, numeracy, communication and personal skills, helping get them 'job-ready' for the workforce."

Comments attributed to Disability Services Minister Don Punch:

"The Cook Government is committed to creating greater employment opportunities in our diverse economy for people with disability.

"Everyone has a role to play in our State's workforce, however people with disability face significant barriers in accessing employment opportunities compared to other cohorts in our community.

"The Mini Woolies facility at South Metropolitan TAFE's Bentley campus gives people with disability the opportunity to learn in a safe and supportive way and gain essential skills that allow them to participate in the workforce.

"Providing these training opportunities for people with disability is crucial to empowering them to be part of the workforce and creating a more inclusive WA."

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