​For almost three years Outback Stores has successfully offered school-based retail traineeships in remote communities, with great support from store managers and their senior team members.

Since the start of this program in 2022, Outback Stores’ training team has worked closely with the NT Department of Education to develop career pathways for remote students.

The students gain practical retail experience by working in their local community store, while completing online training modules with the assistance of the Outback Stores training team. Work experience is completed by students aged 14 years and older during term time and school hours, with duties including learning how to use the registers, store presentation, and work health and safety requirements.

Tammy Stephens is a Training Officer who recently delivered training to the school students of Wugularr School in Beswick. The students completed the theory online and then put their learning into practise in the Beswick store (see photos).

“I would like to thank the Wugularr School for allowing me to conduct the Cert I VET program at the school. The students were respectful both to me and the store managers, and all were eager to learn. Overall, a success! It was a delight to train these students.”

It was a delight to train these students.

– Tammy Stephens

Three communities have so far engaged with this program: Ngukurr and Beswick in the Top End and Santa Teresa in Central Australia.

“It’s important to see school students taking an interest in getting practical experience that will provide career pathways,” says Outback Stores’ Training Manager Alma Ngalmi, who grew up in Numbulwar community in South-East Arnhem Land.

Alma’s first job at the Barunga Community Store, which was then managed by Outback Stores on behalf of the community. She soon worked her way up to the role of store supervisor, and from there moved to the Darwin support office as receptionist. She enrolled in Certificate IV in Retail Management as well as Training and Assessor, while juggling full-time work and raising a young family. 

Now in the role of Outback Stores’ Training Manager, Alma is leading the way for others to follow in her footsteps.

Next the students flew to Alice Springs to visit 3 community stores across the Red Centre and see School Nutrition Program (SNP) in action.

The SNP aims to provide students with nutritious meals throughout the school term to improve school attendance and engagement. Currently Outback Stores is assisting 10 stores in the Northern Territory to provide breakfast, recess and lunch to school children across 11 schools.

Laisha and Tiarni travelled to Central Australia with Outback Stores’ Health and Nutrition Manager, Anna Murison, to visit the community stores in Tilmouth Well, Yuelamu, and Ali Curung.

Throughout the week, the students helped prepare the SNP meals, provided education sessions to store team members and managers on the SNP guidelines, interviewed stores managers regarding the SNP operations and took many photos and videos to help them with their SNP project. They are developing a standards guide and training package for store team members and managers to help navigate the SNP processes.

Tiarni and Lamisha also got a chance to see the beauty of Central Australia and do some sightseeing at Devils Marbles, Aileron and Alice Springs.