Business: Learning in Action

The annual business dean's case competition brings together some of Lakeland's best and brightest against similar post-secondary teams teams from across Alberta.

The competition starts with a real-world business problem. Each team is challenged to develop practical solutions and present them to a panel.

While the team is limited to 5 members, going through real business cases is also a classroom exercise.

Metrix Group LLP is our team's official sponsor.

And by the way, Lakeland has won this competition and also placed in the top 3 five times since the competition started in 2006. The 2018 business case competition placed 3rd (photo above).

For over 20 years the Lloydminster Chamber of Commerce members have met and mingled with Lakeland business students through Chamber Connect.

Who you know is often a critical part of business success. Get started with Chamber Connect networking events.

You may even meet your future employer at one of these events.

You'll also meet with guest speakers, some of whom are alumni, who come to your classes throughout the year.

You have the opportunity to choose a co-op placement between first and second year of our business administration diploma.

Not only are you putting what you learned to use in the real world, you're getting a taste how to interview for a job and of where jobs might take you along a career path.

Learn more about Heather Healy and Angela Robinson's experience in the world of accounting and insurance.

Creating a marketing plan for a business is one example of the work-integrated learning projects business students tackle.

A recent example is the local company Rec-Tech that approached Lakeland for students to develop marketing plans for its Can-Am Spyder and Ryker 3-wheeled motorbikes.

The only thing more exciting was giving the wheels a test drive.

Accounting major students have put their skills to help real people do their income taxes for over two decades.

Students volunteer their time to help seniors, students, low-income families and newcomers to Canada with their annual income taxes. They are helped by alumni and faculty. Partnerships with local businesses and organizations support the clinics.

At the start, students prepared just over 400 income tax returns in a year. The number of returns has grown to more than 600 during the annual tax clinics.

Students even continued to provide the tax preparation service through the COVID pandemic.

Individual students have set goals for the number of income tax returns they'll do.

Organizing a pep rally for the atheletics department was a work-integrated learning project in 2022.

Students organized, promoted, danced, sold entrance and 50/50 tickets, announced, threw t-shirts, hosted a heads and tails game for the spectators and donned the Rowdy costume for the event.

Local middle and high schools were invited to attend the back-to-back Rustlers women's and men's basketball games in late November. The school with the most fans won 25% of the 50/50 pot.

Traditional Punjabi dance was one half-time feature, while a local group later rocked the gym with some hip-hop.

When administrative professional students go out on their 3-week practicum they are bringing more than office skills, they've also learned how to dress for success.

Dress for Success is for all students and is aimed at helping them make a great first impression.

Local entrepreneurs and business people also shared their dress or success thoughts and tips. It's part of a real-world showcase of fashions from local clothing retailers.

Indigenous Student Council and the Lakeland's business school started co-hosting the event in 2022.

2023 Dress for Success - impressing on a budget

2022 Dress for Success

Lloydminster's annual Inspiring Women conference has benefited from the skills and hands-on support of administrative professional students.

Since 2019 the admin professional students have joined the organizers to help put together the conference.

Tasks have included co-hosting, marketing, decorating, scheduling session moderators, running the registration table, acting as escorts to seat attendees, organizing door prizes, engaging with an online audience through social media and administering a survey.

Field trips can provide perspective, inspiration and a competitive advantage.

Real estate appraisal and assessment students often find themselves doing a variety of field labs.

For example, a tour through different types of agricultural lands in the area helps them understand farmland evaluation (see photo below).

You'll pull out a tape measures on a site to put together the details for a home (residential) or commercial assessment.

Or, you could find yourself abroad comparing Canada’s ad valorem taxation with appraisal systems in places as far-flung as Vietnam, Brazil and Greece.

A trip to Mérida in Mexico also touched on financing, values and ownership.

Invest in yourself through Synergy Speakers' Corner.

You practice and learn to be a more confident speaker through Synergy Speakers' Corner.

The club, founded in 2015, also focuses on building student leadership skills.

If you complete 5 out of 7 speaking projects, you receive a Competent Communicator Level 1 certificate.

You also have the opportunity to lead and organize activities.

Public speaking skills increase your value by 50% says one of the club's organizers.