Students mingle at the mix-and-meet at Lululemon's Oakridge store. (Photo by Paul Fleischanderl)

Staff and faculty from Kwantlen met with staff and leaders from Lululemon Athletica at Oakridge Centre last week To discuss and exchange ideas for co-operation.

From now on, Lululemon Athelica is one of the employers in Kwantlen’s Co-operative Education Program. The two-year program combines on-campus study with one semester of paid, career-related work experience./p>

“During this semester, students work at a job in their typical field where they can apply their theoretical knowledge. Also, students get in contact with employers,” said Caitlin Stiles, co-op coordinator at Kwantlen.

So far, Kwantlen offers co-op for students of Computer Information Systems, Environmental Protection Technology, the Marketing Management Diploma, Bachelor of Technology in Information Technology, Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Entrepreneurial Leadership and BBA in Accounting.

Hector Cabrera, key leader, floor manager and reatail on boarding trainer of Lululemon's Oakridge store. (Photo by Paul Fleischanderl)

For Lululemon co-operation with Kwantlen is no way of recruiting staff, said Hector Cabrera, who is key manager, floor manager and retail trainer.

“We want to get in touch with young, vibrant people in the community that want to make a difference and don’t really know how. We give them resources to do that and create what they want,” Cabrera said.

There is no typical hierarchy at Lululemon Athletica. Each store is independent and the mission statement for each is different.

“We don’t do our business for the sake of profits right away: It’s about what can we do to establish a relationship with the people in our community. When people see that, they get gravitated towards the brand and to what the company means and what it’s about and that makes us successful on the long haul,” said Cabrera.

Lululemon wants to extend the relationship with Kwantlen, Cabera said. “This hasn’t to be bureaucratic; it’s as easy as an conversation. People are people and that’s why it’s great to partner up with a school that sees it that way as well.”

This is just the start and coordinators at Kwantlen’s Career Services and Co-op, as well as staff at Lululemon Athletica, are looking forward to see how things will evolve. What happens next depends on the students.

To see if your program has an option for co-op and for more information, go to www.kwantlen.ca/coop.