One Year On: Dakota's Recipe for Success at Waikerie Woolworths
- Riverland and Mallee Enterprises
- Jul 15
- 3 min read
When Dakota first stepped into the bakery at Waikerie Woolworths for a six-week work experience placement, she was eager to learn and willing to give every task her best effort.
More than a year later, she's become an integral part of the bakery team, proving that the right opportunity can be the beginning of something much bigger.
What started as work experience through Riverland & Mallee Enterprises has grown into ongoing paid employment, with Dakota now recognised as a dependable and valued employee. Her journey is a powerful reminder that inclusive employment creates lasting benefits for individuals, employers and the wider community.
Each week, Dakota takes on a busy schedule preparing, baking, packing and labelling cookies for Woolworths Waikerie. Working efficiently and methodically, she bakes and packages around 900 cookies each week—enough to supply approximately four days' worth of cookie stock for the store—while maintaining the high standards expected in a fast-paced supermarket bakery. She also takes pride in ensuring her work area is clean, organised and ready for the next team member before finishing for the day.
Dakota has earned a reputation as a dependable and valued member of the Woolworths team. Her strong work ethic, attention to detail and willingness to work alongside her colleagues have made her an important part of the bakery, where she approaches every shift with enthusiasm and pride.
While at work, Dakota is supported by Riverland & Mallee Enterprises' support staff who work alongside her throughout the day, providing individualised assistance where needed to help her complete workplace tasks, build her skills and continue developing her independence.
Riverland & Mallee Enterprises support participants and local employers to create opportunities that match people's strengths and aspirations. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, supports are tailored to the individual, recognising that every employment journey is different.
For many participants, a work experience placement provides the chance to demonstrate their capabilities in a real workplace. Employers gain the opportunity to see skills, attitude and potential firsthand, often leading to long-term employment outcomes.
Dakota's story highlights the value of that approach.
Since joining the Woolworths team, she has continued to grow in her role, taking ownership of her responsibilities and becoming an important contributor to the bakery department. Her progression demonstrates what can be achieved when employers focus on ability and provide an inclusive workplace where people are given the opportunity to succeed.
As Australia's disability employment landscape continues to evolve, creating pathways into open employment has become an increasing focus of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Regional organisations such as Riverland & Mallee Enterprises are helping make that vision a reality by connecting participants with local employers and providing practical supports that lead to genuine, long-term employment outcomes.
For Dakota, the result has been much more than a job. She has established a routine, developed valuable workplace skills and become part of a supportive team that appreciates the contribution she makes every week.
Her journey also serves as encouragement for other employers who may be considering offering a work experience placement or employing someone living with disability. Sometimes all it takes is the opportunity for someone to demonstrate what they can achieve.
If you happen to be shopping at Waikerie Woolworths, chances are you'll find Dakota in the bakery doing what she enjoys most—preparing the cookies that have become a favourite with local customers.
To learn more about our Employment Services and how Riverland & Mallee Enterprises supports people living with disability to find and keep a job, contact our friendly team.
