Woolworths Good Sammy Pilot

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  IncludeAbility is a project of the Australian Human Rights Commission. The aim of the project is to increase meaningful employment opportunities for people with disability.

  Here in Perth, we've got a partnership between Woolworths, Good Sammy and IncludeAbility that's piloting open employment opportunities for people who have intellectual disability or cognitive disability looking at job customisation.

  Through the job customisation process, the perfect role for a candidate was selected and those participants in the pilot were employed, paid award wages at their Woolworths store.

  Fifteen of our employees, these are tremendously talented young individuals with intellectual disability, have participated in this IncludeAbility Pilot in a number of Woolworths stores in Western Australia. A person with an intellectual disability, is much like every other person in society. They've got aspirations, they've got talents, and they've got skills and needs.

  My name is Georgina Horton. Good Sammy we work as a team, always in a team, and learning new skills, and it's always hands on. I love working at Woolworths, making new skills. I feel included in all the support I get, in and out of the team.

  We love working with Neil. He is incredibly cheeky, loves a bit of a laugh with us.

  My name's Peter, I'm Neil's dad. It's improved his social skills, it's improved his mental health. He's got a lot out of it. Award wages have allowed him to have more social interaction outside of work and Family life. He still hasn't bought me a paint.

  Our team members are so proud of what they've achieved, as are their families, and as are all of us at Good Sammy, to see the outcome that has been achieved and the way they have that confidence boost to know, yes, I can do it.

  I think one of my favourite things is just seeing the participants gain confidence and become more and more a part of the team over the 12 weeks that they were in our store and also at the end being able to offer them ongoing employment with our team.

  It's absolutely opened my eyes to actually what can be really challenging for people with disabilities and just the small things that we can do as businesses and as leaders that actually make such a significant difference.

  It's definitely broadening our experiences and what he can accomplish when we merge together.

  Through the pilots we're also hoping to develop a blueprint or template for how other businesses can successfully employ people with disability. Our learnings were in relation to our ongoing support mechanism that we provided to participants. Looking at training and ways of working, whereby we could look at what worked, what didn't work.
  
   
  
  I want people to see Good Sammy as both an inclusive and accessible employer for people with disability, but also as a springboard into the next professional opportunity.

  What I like about it is that, like, it's 110 percent it benefits society and since we're getting more people employed, not just in Woolworths, but just in general, it's probably the best ever outcome to ever come out of it And that's why I'm all for it, because the more people that get employed, It will continue to benefit society as a whole going forward.

  I think it's a great example of how best practice and what desire to employ people with disability can fruit some really strong outcomes.

  The relationships that have been built throughout the months of this pilot have really proven to be strong and put us in good stead for other participants to have these same opportunities.

  I strongly believe that Good Sammy and Woolworths will continue the relationship and this pilot has enabled that opportunity and has ensured that we can create these opportunities more broadly and widely out in the community.

  Of the 15 pilot participants that have started in the project, 12 have been offered ongoing employment to date.

  Everyone loved it here. You know, when I was growing up, I heard that he went ahead and still did it. It only takes this one step to move forward in life. And before you know it, you're up on the moon, and you're laughing down at the people who didn't believe in you and what I'm doing is just picking up where he left off.