The arrival of Mini Woolies in Otago and Southland will bring exciting new pathways to employment for young people with disabilities in the region.
Mini Woolies gives practical learning experiences by bringing a mini-supermarket site into an educational setting. The two new sites in Dunedin and Invercargill, which opened on Friday, the 5th of June, are the first New Zealand Mini Woollies to be based outside of special schools, and both are focused on creating workforce opportunities.
“This is far more than a mini supermarket site, it’s a launchpad for futures”, said Nadia Steedman, Chief Operations Officer at Front-Line Training in Invercargill, a private training establishment providing educational opportunities for rangatahi in the Murihiku/Southland region.
In Dunedin, Mini Woolies Te Ara Mahi is hosted by IDEA Services Limited, New Zealand’s largest provider of services for people with intellectual disabilities and their families.
“We’re pleased to support community-based development opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities, supporting greater confidence, independence, and community participation," said Sonja Edmondston, Otago Area Manager for IDEA Services Ltd.
"Te Ara Mahi, including Mini Woolies and the café, will provide practical, hands-on training in environments that build skills and open doors to future employment opportunities. Te Ara Mahi means ‘the pathway to employment,’ reflecting the vision of creating practical opportunities that support people to build skills, confidence, and future employment pathways."
Since its 2018 launch, more than 8,800 students with disabilities have been through Mini Woolies, which are now in every state and territory in Australia and in New Zealand. These are the seventh and eighth Mini Woolies in New Zealand and the 121st and 122nd Mini Woolies sites to be opened overall.
For Woolworths New Zealand, Managing Director Sally Copland, it was immensely satisfying to see Mini Woollies expand in New Zealand, now with four sites in both the South Island and North Island.
"It’s just really joyful to be at a Mini Woolies opening, seeing the excitement and engagement it creates for young people and how it helps them build confidence and achieve their goals," she said.
"Investing in New Zealand isn’t just about our products, stores, price or convenience, it’s also about the difference we can make in the communities where our millions of kiwi customers live and shop.”
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