Mini Woolworths opens at Mater Dei, Camden, for students with specific needs

A new supermarket has opened up in southwest Sydney, but it’s got a special mission. Find out how it all works.

A miniature supermarket has opened at a southwest Sydney school to support the education of students with an intellectual disability or developmental delay with hands-on learning experiences.

The store at Mater Dei has been established to mimic the operations of an actual Woolworths supermarket, with baskets for fresh food, shelving for groceries, ticketing, signage and branded uniforms the students can wear to create a fully immersive experience.

Mater Dei works with children and young adults with complex learning needs to provide innovative and contemporary education and therapy services.

Assistant Principal, Eryn Lonergan, said using fully operational registers, students will learn to scan grocery items, money handling and process sales.

A mini Woolworths has opened at Mater Dei in Camden. Picture: Dallas Kilponen/Woolworths

“It’s a comfortable and familiar environment allowing each student to learn in their own time,” she said.

“They can then transfer these skills into their life.”

Mater Dei Fresh Food, as the students have named their new mini store, was brought to life over the summer school holidays through a partnership with Woolworths and Fujitsu.

“They will learn maths skills all the way up to increasing their employability,” Ms Lonergan said.

“To have this resource at our fingertips is excellent, and our imagination is just running wild.

Students will be able to learn all sorts of new skills. Picture: Dallas Kilponen/Woolworths

“It’s not just about being a shopper. We are also looking at stocking, stocktake and all of these skills you may need to work at a store.”

Woolworths team members have been helping students stock shelves and provide register training in readiness for opening.

The shop will be utilised by Mater Dei School (K-12) and the Young Adults of Mater Dei’s NextPath Continuous Learning program.

The latter was established to enable and empower Young Adults with an intellectual disability to engage in the process of self-determination to develop educational and life skills.

Students from Kindergarten to Year 12 and beyond will be able to access the store. Picture: Dallas Kilponen/Woolworths

“We are fully responsible for the store. We have to do all the ordering and roster the students to do those activities,” Ms Lonergan said.

“It’s the whole gamut of running the store, really, which will be incredible.”

John Hunt, Woolworths Group’s chief information officer and director of group enablement, said he was proud of the new mini supermarket at Mater Dei and the opportunities it will create for students.

“The skills students will learn in their new mini Woolworths supermarket will equip them with confidence and knowledge of retail operations in an exciting way, giving them an upfront understanding and familiarity when they enter the workforce,” he said.

The store has been named Mater Dei Fresh Food. Picture: Dallas Kilponen/Woolworths

“Having seen the success of our previous Mini Woolworths stores with students employed as Woolworths team members, we look forward to seeing how the students gain independence and skills from Mater Dei Fresh Food.”

Clare Burden, the head of industry and retail at Fujitsu Australia Limited, said they were excited to partner on the initiative.

“We are incredibly proud of the impact our technology and support is making on young lives as well as their parents and educators,” she said.

The store at Mater Dei is the sixth mini-supermarket of its kind in Australia.