Coles and Giants team up for jobs push

Supermarket giant Coles has teamed up with another giant to help First Nations youth in western Sydney score their first job.

The AFL’s GWS Giant Steps program will run across 20 local high schools and deliver hands-on workshops that will empower students with the positive habits that define a Giants player.

From personal goal setting to mastering time management, students will learn the importance of developing employment skills and how to kick-start their career with Coles, the Giants have said on their website, gwsgiants.com.au

Greater Western Sydney is home to one of the largest urban populations of First Nations people in Australia.

“GIANT Steps is about opening doors and showing young First Nations people that opportunity is within reach,” Executive General Manager of Community and Inclusion, Ali Faraj said.

“The program will use AFL and its strong connection to community as a catalyst to drive meaningful outcomes for young Indigenous people in the Greater Western Sydney region.”

Coles employs over 115,000 staff, with 3.6 per cent identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, making it one of Australia’s largest private-sector employers of First Nations people.

“We know how powerful that first job can be as a step towards independence, confidence and enabling long-term economic empowerment,” Coles Head of Indigenous Affairs, Sara Stuart, a proud Kamilaroi woman, said.

“Just like the Giants we are committed to nurturing homegrown talent and supporting a pipeline of First Nations young people to enter the workforce for the first time with Coles.”