Hands-on experience focus of new U of L plan

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on April 10, 2025.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

The University of Lethbridge is now offering students experiential and work-integrated learning opportunities through its new Experiential and Career Education Plan — Kakó Stamistotsit.
The plan is rooted in the Blackfoot direction of Kakó Stamistotsit, which means “go ahead — experience it” and reflects the moment when an individual seeks guidance from a trusted loved one, Elder or advisor before embarking on something new.
The acronym Kakó reflects the strategic pillars of Knowledge, Actionable Inclusion, Advancing Indigenization, Key Partnerships, and Optimized Outcomes, creating a culturally resonant framework that aligns with institutional values and priorities.
At a launch event Wednesday, Mark Slomp, executive director of student services, said over the past year, the university has engaged with more than 500 people, both on campus and in the community, to build the Experiential and Career Education Plan.
“This plan is meant ultimately to send students in the world who can navigate their careers and lives with confidence as they go out and utilize the competencies and skills they have learned,” said Slomp.
Organizers are trying to provide students with multiple opportunities to connect their academic knowledge with real world experience, so they can solve the problems in the community and in the world that need solving.
“All of this work involves three partners, the student, the university and industry organizations to provide these kinds of experiences,” said Slomp.
Wednesday’s event was celebrating the vast number of partners the university has off-campus.
Slomp said one of the key activities in this process was to get a sense of their Work Integrated Learning programs and career education initiatives, and how they were perceived and used by students, faculty and the broader external community.
“We found some real positives, such as a 95 per cent employment rate within one year for our graduates, with 41 per cent of them having participated in a work placement during their time as ULethbridge students.”
He added that there were also areas they needed to improve, including reaching the significant proportion of students (69 per cent), who when surveyed responded they were unaware of Career Bridge services, as well as finding ways to better facilitate faculty involvement and better communicate opportunities to community partners.

3
-2