When students and staff return to the classroom for Term 4 on Monday, one consideration that will be top of mind for most educators is students’ health and safety.
While some state and territory governments are relaxing Covid rules in line with health advice, the pandemic is by no means over. Students and staff can still get infected. The contagiousness of the virus has not disappeared, and students with immune deficiencies remain most at risk.
Recognising this, many service providers in the education sector are working hard to ensure that education staff can respond more effectively to potential health risks on their campus.
One of these companies is Cole Supplies, which was founded in late 2013 as Cole Workwear. At the company’s inception, Perth businessman and Noongar community leader, Gordon Cole, joined forces with Michael Cima, an experienced importer and founder of Australia’s first Indigenous workwear company, with a shared focus on supporting local communities.
Below, The Educator speaks to Michael Cima, director at Cole Supplies about how the company will be helping schools provide a safe environment for teaching and learning in Term 4.
TE: From teacher shortages and Covid-19, it’s been yet another challenging Term for Australian schools. Drawing from your discussions with school leaders, what kind of supplies seem to be most in demand as Term 4 approaches?
As we’ve learnt over the past three years, the COVID-19 pandemic has created profound challenges for schools and the communities it serves. And while some of the challenges that arose at the beginning of the pandemic have eased in their intensity, we’re still seeing schools embrace masks and other safety precautions to lower the risk of illness. Cole Supplies’ reusable masks for kids are in high demand. Coming in two creative designs and engineered with a three-layer filtration system to help filter coarser unwanted particles, kids can feel good while staying safe. Our anti-virus laptop bags are also piquing interest with its protective layer of zycrobial-50, which instantly decontaminates a virus through the outer backpacks surface.
TE: What are some ways in which Cole Workwear will be helping students get classroom ready in Term 4?
Community is at the heart of Cole Supplies, and our rich heritage is engrained in everything we do; from our commitment to customer experience, to enriching our communities through our work. That’s why we source the best products. As we head into Term 4, children and their families can be reassured that Cole Supplies have all their personal protective equipment needs. From masks and anti-virus backpacks to hand sanitiser and V-Chek COVID-19 tests, Cole Supplies is a one-stop-shop. Just head to the Cole Supplies website at www.colesupplies.com.au to find what you need.
TE: In some states, we’re seeing Covid-19 restrictions being relaxed, yet medical experts are reminding us that the pandemic is by no means over yet. Does Cole Workwear have any plans to modify its Covid-Safe offerings for schools to ensure students and staff are protected well into 2023?
Improving the lives of Australians is top of mind for Cole Supplies, which us why we continue to innovate and source the best products. With the onset of COVID-19, Cole Supplies diversified its workwear offering to include personal protective equipment (PPE) to help meet the demand and within only a few months, Cole Supplies had supplied Australians with millions of masks and an abundance of hand sanitiser as well as other crucial PPE. Now, as the exclusive sponsors of the V-Chek COVID-19 Saliva Lollipop test kits, Cole Supplies has supplied almost 60 million tests into the Australian community. We will continue sourcing the best products in 2023, and already have exciting plans in the pipeline, including new products to protect against COVID-19 and market-leading technology that will help us reach net zero in the coming years.