From August 15 to 19, Durham College’s (DC) Whitby campus hosted 18 very special guests, who spent the week exploring future career opportunities available in the skilled trades. The summer camp was hosted by Skills Ontario and provided campers with several hands-on activities in each of DC’s skilled trades programs – including an off-site tour of Ontario Power Generation (OPG), a long-standing community partner and donor of the college. Skills Ontario has been providing programs like this for students in Grades 7 to 9 for over 30 years, with an intention to inspire youth to explore skilled trades and technologies. This is the first summer since 2019 that the camp has been able to run in-person.

“We’re thrilled to bring back our popular summer camps program,” says Ian Howcroft, chief executive officer, Skills Ontario. “It is crucial for youth to not only explore opportunities in the skilled trades and technologies, but also to build their skills for the workforce and consider what career path is right for them.”

Supported by experiential learning opportunities – a concept that is deeply embedded in many of DC’s programs – campers learned about the many career paths available in the skilled trades and technology fields. Daily camp activities were led by Skills Ontario staff and DC employees, and featured interactive activities and competitions, including: virtual reality welding, building birdhouses in the carpentry shop, learning hoisting and drilling techniques, creating tasty treats while learning about DC’s Field to Fork philosophy, using plumbing skills and materials to build hula hoops, as well as a Co2 Dragster car assembly and performance race.

“I had the pleasure of visiting the camp and was very impressed with each camper’s enthusiasm and pride for their work. I’m pleased to see youth taking such interest in the skilled trades and having the ability to experience the state-of-the-art facility we have at our Whitby campus,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “I’m grateful for the work Skills Ontario provides young people and I’m sure this will be the beginning of a lifelong passion of learning for the campers and foster DC’s relationship with them all as future leaders in our community.”

DC’s Whitby campus is leading the way in skilled trades and technology education. It spans over 350,000 square feet in state-of-the-art learning spaces, including the newly opened Ontario Power Generation Centre for Skilled Trades and Technology, which features a double-height shop lab, new classrooms and student touchdown spaces. The campus also includes the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which is home to the award-winning full-service restaurant, Bistro ’67; retail store, Pantry, and the Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture and its community-inspired urban farm.

DC is proud to partner with Skills Ontario in an effort to introduce youth in the Durham Region to the many skilled trades professions while also helping them develop communication, problem-solving and teamwork skills. Skills Ontario summer camps are sponsored by the Government of Ontario and Magna. For further information on future camps, please visit their website.

*photo credit Skills Ontario

Durham College (DC) is excited to announce that its 2021-2022 Annual Report is now available. As one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the sixth consecutive year, DC is committed to sharing its report in the following interactive online format.

The highlighted accomplishments featured in this report serve as undeniable proof that the innovative work of our students and employees – inside and outside the classroom – is truly making a positive impact. Our DC family has a lot to be proud of, which is why we’re so pleased to share these stories of resilience and leadership with you.

“Despite the challenges we faced in the pandemic’s second year, the college’s commitment to our mission – Together, we’re leading the way – remained steadfast and strong,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “This year’s annual report features a number of stories that highlight the inspiring collaboration, innovation and determination exemplified by every member of our campus community over the last year. These stories demonstrate how DC is leading the way in everything we do.”

We hope the successes featured in this report inspire you and provide you with a glimpse into the future of Durham College and our global community.

Durham College’s (DC) most exciting event of the year returned this June, complete with confetti canons and inspirational guest speakers, as the college hosted its first in-person Convocation since 2019.

During this momentous occasion, more than 3,500 students crossed the stage to the cheers and smiling faces of their friends, family, and special guests. During the ten ceremonies held over the five-day event, DC’s 2022 graduates celebrated new beginnings as they received their credentials, and the 2020 and 2021 graduates returned to acknowledge how far they’ve come and experience their ceremonies that were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Not only did our graduates complete their program – setting their sights on a tremendous goal and meeting it with resolve – but they made it to the finish line during a once-in-a-century global event that has impacted all of us to varying degrees and in different ways,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC during his remarks to the graduates. “As COVID-19 changed the way we live, work and learn, our graduates showed the world that they have an undeniable amount of drive and determination that will continue to serve them in their career and life for many years to come.”

Held at the Tribute Communities Centre in downtown Oshawa from June 13 to 17, the events honoured graduates from programs in the schools of Hospitality & Horticultural Science; Business, IT & Management; Professional and Part-time Learning, Health & Community Services; Interdisciplinary Studies; Justice & Emergency Services; Media, Art & Design; Science & Engineering Technology and Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship & Renewable Technology.

Ceremonies on June 14 marked an important milestone for the Durham College Alumni Association as it reached 100,000 members with the graduating class of 2021. The ceremony on June 17 also celebrated the inaugural graduating class of DC’s first degree program, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management.

The first and last ceremonies of the week also featured a Big Drum performance by John Snake and drummers from the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, welcoming graduates and guests as they entered the building.

The opening song was performed to offer positive thoughts as DC honoured all graduates and their achievements, and the closing performance symbolized safe travels for graduates as they move on to new endeavours. An Indigenous student graduation celebration also took place on June 10, prior to Spring Convocation week, with a reception and Indigenous Heritage Celebration on campus.

Guest speakers at the ceremonies included:

• Nicole Blackman, DNP, MN, RN – graduate of DC’s Registered Nursing program in 2004, provincial director of the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council, former sessional instructor at Ontario Tech University, and member of the provincial Children’s COVID-19 Vaccine Table, Chief Medical Officer of Health Advisory Table, provincial Hepatitis C Working Group, and Durham Region Aboriginal Advisory Committee.
• Brent Lessard – graduate of DC’s Mechanical Engineering Technology program in 2014, co-founder and project manager for rLoop, director of programs and operations at Venture Development Institute, 2017 Premier’s Award winner, and member of the Durham College Alumni Association.
• Thao Nghiem – graduate of DC’s Music Business Management program in 2018, founder and managing director of the Vietnam Music Industry Network and Vietnam Music Week, co-director of the Oshawa Music Awards and marketing manager for Small World Music.
• Cameron Munro – graduate from the Business Administration – Operations Management (now Supply Chain & Operations Management – Business Administration) program in 2012, plant manager at FibreCorr Ltd., president of Munro Strategy Group Inc., and former chair and member of the Supply Chain & Operations Management – Business Administration Program Advisory Committee.
• Hannah Elkington – graduate from the Police Foundations program in 2014, K-9 handler with the Durham Regional Police Services, volunteer with the Imire Elephant and Rhino Sanctuary’s K-9 anti-poaching unit, 2016 Premier’s Awards nominee, 2016 Alumna of Distinction and winner of the Public Hero Award form the Intercultural Dialogue Institute.

Over the course of Spring Convocation, the college also awarded three deserving recipients with Alumni of Distinction awards based on their extraordinary contributions to society while achieving career success:

• Nicole Blackman – a 2004 graduate of the Registered Nursing program.
• Kristin Atwood – a 2017 graduate of the Advanced Baking and Pastry Arts program and 2016 graduate of the Culinary Management program.
• Andrew McNamara – a 2004 graduate of the Business Administration – Accounting program.

For more information about Spring Convocation, including links to videos of each ceremony, visit www.durhamcollege.ca/convocation. To learn more about this year’s Alumni of Distinction winners visit www.durhamcollege.ca/alumniofdistinction.

On June 3, 2022, Durham College (DC) joined the City of Oshawa and fellow educational partners – Ontario Tech University, Trent University Durham GTA and the University of Toronto, Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering – for the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU), officially extending the TeachingCity partnership for another five years.

Just as many medical centres are designated “teaching hospitals,” the partnership began in 2017 with a shared goal of making Oshawa the world’s first “teaching city.” Over the last five years, the TeachingCity initiative has built momentum, establishing Oshawa as a leader in experiential learning, applied research and innovative partnerships. Focusing on specific city-identified challenge statements, students have the opportunity to participate in the courses as part of their program, to identify urban issues and collaborate and co-design possible solutions.

“In the five years since this partnership began, more than 1,000 Durham College students have received one-of-a-kind, hands-on experiences through TeachingCity that are making a difference in our community, allowing them to apply their unique skillset in a supportive, innovative and collaborative work-integrated learning environment,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “These opportunities are preparing our students for success now, and in the future, as they develop valuable, in-demand skills to launch meaningful careers.”

Since 2017, DC and the City of Oshawa, along with their other educational partners, have collaborated on 55 applied research projects, creating opportunities for 1,711 students and 135 post-secondary faculty to address a number of topics, including:

• Diversity, equity and inclusion;
• Virtual reality training and advanced navigation technology for firefighters;
• Digital wayfinding;
• Active transportation for an age-friendly community;
• Engaging local youth;
• Supporting local culture and business;
• Storm water management ponds;
• Optimizing City operations routes; and
• Corporate energy management planning.

In May 2018, the partners celebrated the first year of TeachingCity with the opening of the TeachingCity Hub in downtown Oshawa, a dedicated space for students and employees to facilitate projects with education and research partners.

Learn more about the TeachingCity Initiative online.

On June 9, 200 golfers took to the links for the 24th Regional Chair’s Classic, in memory of Roger Anderson. Hosted in person for the first time since the pandemic began, the tournament took place at Durham Region’s Deer Creek Golf and Country Club.

This year’s event raised $290,000 for students in financial need at Durham College and Ontario Tech University. Funds will also go towards youth programs at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences. Thanks to the generosity of participants and supporters, the event has raised over $7.2 million since the Classic first began.

“I can think of no better way to honour Roger Anderson’s memory than by coming together as a community for a day of camaraderie and fun, while also raising money for our students in need and for Ontario Shores Centre’s invaluable youth programs,” says Regional Chair John Henry. “This year’s tournament was a wonderful demonstration of the good we can achieve when the community rallies together to help make education and mental health programs accessible to all.”

Don Lovisa, president, Durham College; Karim Mamdani, president and CEO, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences; and Steven Murphy, president and vice-chancellor, Ontario Tech University were in attendance for the evening’s cheque presentation to offer their gratitude on behalf of their respective institutions.

Durham College’s (DC) Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) has proudly released its 10th Annual Report, a summary of the impactful work accomplished by ORSIE staff and faculty members. From hosting #TechTalksDC to receiving funding for DC’s first-ever postdoctoral fellow, it was a year of impressive accomplishments.

“At the heart of ORSIE, we strive for innovation,” says Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “Through the work we do, we support student learning, work with community agencies to resolve societal challenges, help businesses hone their competitiveness and collaborate with external partners. Despite obstacles posed by COVID-19, we continued to establish DC as a leader in applied research.”

ORSIE encompasses four key areas, as highlighted in the annual report:

• Institutional Research and Planning
• Applied Research
• Entrepreneurship
• Experiential Learning

“The pandemic continues to shape our priorities and the way in which we operate, but ORSIE is poised for the challenges ahead and laser-focused on supporting the success of our students, local businesses and community partners,” says McKee Demczyk. “We are proud to support DC in leading the way in transformative education, applied research and social innovation.”

Over the course of this year, guided by the college’s Strategic Research Plan and Academic Plan, ORSIE will continue to support the research needs of our stakeholders, and explore increased experiential learning opportunities, while building our students’ entrepreneurial success. Through applied research, ORSIE will also seek to provide more local businesses with pandemic recovery strategies and develop creative solutions to complex community challenges through social innovation.

Read more about ORSIE’s work in the annual report.

Following the Ontario and federal government’s recent child-care announcement, Durham College (DC) is pleased to share it is accepting applications for a new compressed Early Childhood Education (ECE) program, with an intake beginning in July.

The tuition and ancillary fees for students accepted into the program will be fully covered, and students will be able to graduate with full credentials within 14 months; the standard ECE program at DC is two years in duration.

This opportunity is funded in partnership with the City of Toronto, The Region of Peel, The Region of Durham, The Region of Halton, the Province of Ontario and Government of Canada under the new Canada-Ontario Early Childhood Workforce Agreement, which provides one-time federal funding to support the retention and recruitment of a high-quality child care and early years workforce.

“The compressed version of the college’s Early Childhood Education program is a direct response to the emerging trends we’re seeing in the industry and the evolving nature of the work employers are looking for our graduates to fill,” says Dr. Elaine Popp, executive vice president, Academic, Durham College. “By embracing these changes, Durham College is proud to be a post-secondary leader in education, fostering economic and social success for our students, graduates and community along the way.”

Over 14 consecutive months, DC’s compressed ECE program will include approximately 1,645 hours of training offered through a hybrid model that combines synchronous and asynchronous delivery components as well as the opportunity to complete a practicum in a variety of settings.

RECEs play an integral role in promoting children’s development from birth to age 12 within the following five domains: cognitive, social, emotional, language and physical. DC’s dedicated faculty, enhanced curriculum and experiential learning opportunities will ensure students graduate well-prepared, with the career-ready skills they need to be successful.

Additional information about the compressed ECE program, including admission requirements and details to apply, can be found online.

On May 12 and 13, Durham College (DC) partnered with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre’s Centre for Injury Prevention to set the record for the number of individuals trained on how to STOP THE BLEED^® in Canada. Hosted in advance of National STOP THE BLEED^® Day, held annually on May 19, over 200 members of the DC community were taught life-saving skills that can help stop quick bleeding injuries.

With multiple sessions held at the Whitby and Oshawa campuses, DC has become the first post-secondary school in Ontario and the second in Canada to offer the STOP THE BLEED^® to employees and students. Further to educating the campus community on how to respond to fast-bleeding wounds, the college has recently installed 30 STOP THE BLEED^® cabinets around the Oshawa and Whitby campuses. These easily-identifiable cabinets are equipped with the medical supplies needed in a blood-loss emergency and also emit an alarm when opened, alerting Campus Security immediately.

Those who missed the in-person training are welcome to visit the program website, which offers valuable information and online resources.

DC thanks participants for coming out to attend these highly informational sessions and for continuing to help make the college a safe place to be.

Durham College (DC)’s Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) is proud to announce that it will share in $4.2 million of funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). These Applied Research and Technology Partnership grants (ARTP) will allow DC to act on three diverse projects that bolster the economy in a post-pandemic world, while working in collaboration with a number of esteemed industry partners and academic institutions.

“With the help of this funding, our research team at Durham College is leading the way with work that will have meaningful, significant impacts on our community,” says Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “By investing in applied research colleges like ours, the government is helping us bring innovative and immersive digital technologies to local businesses in Durham Region, which is important now more than ever, as Canadians are still recovering from the economic effects of COVID.”

Accelerating post-pandemic economic recovery in Durham Region, Greater Toronto Area

During the pandemic, the virus impacted all areas of business, challenging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to stay afloat. As the federal government has recognized, recovering from the pandemic will require the rapid adoption of digital technologies for SMEs.

With NSERC’s grant of $440,000 over two years, DC’s plan utilizes the research capacity and resources of one of its applied research centres, the Mixed Reality Capture Studio (MRC Studio), to help lead SMEs to success following the hardship of the pandemic.

“By applying the college’s extensive knowledge and expertise in immersive technologies, our aim with this funding is to help businesses thrive in a post-pandemic economy,” says Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “In the past six years alone, we’ve facilitated digital technology adoption for over seventy companies. Now we can share our expertise with even more businesses and leverage tech trends such as digital marketing and edugaming to support their post-pandemic success.”

Over the next two years, DC will leverage existing technologies to benefit our industry partners. The team of researchers, experienced in sectors including video gaming, animation, film and television, as well as academia, will work together to develop solutions using mixed reality, virtual production, video gaming, and training simulation. This will achieve a series of objectives which also support Durham Region’s Strategic Plan and Regional Recovery Framework and Action Plan, as well as the federal government’s Canadian Digital Adoption Program. These objectives include helping businesses reduce costs, anticipate customer needs, generate revenue streams, and more. SMEs who partner with DC can expect a number of benefits, ranging from expansion into new markets, developing new or improved products, processes, and services, and creating and maintaining jobs.

The MRC Studio consists of experts engaged in the application of real-time graphics technology. Featuring a state-of-the-art markerless motion capture stage, virtual reality headsets, and virtual production capabilities, the MRC Studio also focuses extensively on the development of video games and the application of gaming technology in training and simulation settings. The MRC Studio collaborates with industry partners to solve challenges related to game development, digital art production, and software performance.

Making virtual humans accessible in Canada

In addition to DC’s MRC Studio project, NSERC has approved funding of $2 million for a collaborative project led by Sheridan College’s Screen Industries Research and Training Centre (SIRT) with the support of DC’s AI Hub and Mixed Reality Capture Studio, Cégep de Matane’s Centre de développement et de recherche en intelligence numérique (CDRIN) and the Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup’s Le Living Lab en innovation ouverte (LLio).

Virtual humans are a digital representation of a person, with the ability to listen, respond and engage in dialogue. The applications of this technology are vast, as virtual humans grow increasingly prevalent in training, simulation and healthcare practices. With this funding, NSERC is helping the partner institutions create increasingly efficient and elaborate control through movement to the virtual humans’ existing systems, processes and products. The research will use a human-centered design approach in collaboration with leading companies such as Ubisoft, 9 Story Media Group, ReImagine AI, CloudConstable Inc., and Advanced Micro Devices, who are at the forefront of innovation and leadership in this industry. This new research will enable the expansion, growth and development of their virtual human pipelines.

“We’re very excited to have our students and researchers working on this project,” says Dr. Vibha Tyagi, manager, Applied Research Partnerships, ORSIE. “Not only will they have the chance to collaborate with companies who are leaders in tech innovation, but they will be applying their skills to advanced projects that will ultimately help allow automation and procedural generation of complex and intricate virtual human movements.”

Partnering with Niagara College to improve craft beer competitiveness

Led by Niagara College (NC), an ARTP grant of $1,789,330 has been allocated to fund a project dedicated to improving the quality assurance and control measures of Canadian small- and medium-sized breweries. With the support of DC, this partnership strives to boost the craft brewing industry and ultimately result in the launch of a Canada-wide Craft Brewer Quality program, designed to support brewers and train students countrywide.

“This project is a significant step that will elevate the Canadian craft brewing industry,” says Chris Gillis, manager, Applied Research Business Development. “Craft breweries produce a sizeable share of beer in Canada already, and this funding enables the establishment of a framework of industry standards. We’re helping Canadian companies raise the bar while supporting the continued success of our national craft breweries.”

The program will take students through a comprehensive training process, to work alongside industry experts as the custom quality programs are developed and put into practice at 16 locations in New Brunswick, Ontario and Alberta.

As one of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges, not only will this funding help provide DC students with ongoing opportunities to participate in experiential training, but DC can continue to lead even more small- and medium-sized enterprises to success through innovative and immersive digital technology strategies.

To read more about ORSIE’s research work, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/orsie.

On April 21, Durham College (DC) welcomed donors, community partners, employees and guests to experience the grand opening of the Ontario Power Generation Centre for Skilled Trades and Technology (CSTT). Located at the Whitby campus, the 60,000-square-foot facility is home to numerous specialized labs and shops, which will allow DC to increase its industrial skilled trades training capacity in Whitby by 750 students.

Given the skilled labour shortage at the regional, provincial and national level, this project could not come at a better time, with Colleges Ontario forecasting that by 2030 the province will face a shortage of more than 500,000 workers in the skilled trades.

The milestone grand opening event featured tours of the CSTT; an Indigenous blessing given by Senator Cecile Wagar from the Oshawa and Durham Métis Council; an official ribbon cutting; and remarks from individuals representing DC students, alumni, employees and local community partners.

“This incredible new facility will help bring student success to life, creating opportunities to advance innovation and knowledge and providing a career launchpad for the next generation of skilled tradespeople,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “The generosity and support from our community is an investment in our collective success and our students’ futures, and core not only to the successful completion of this building but to the entire revitalization of the Whitby campus as we continue to lead the way in transformative education.”

Partnering with DC to help fund the expansion is Ontario Power Generation (OPG), whose name adorns the front of the CSTT to honour and recognize the deep-rooted partnership the two organization enjoy and acknowledge OPG’s long-standing support of both DC and its students over the last 20 years.

“Support from community partners like Ontario Power Generation makes an incredible difference at DC by helping to enhance our programs and facilities and providing access to industry expertise and experiential learning opportunities for our students to advance their skills,” said Linda Flynn, associate vice-president, Office of Development and Alumni Affairs and executive director, Durham College Foundation. “Seeing this building come together through the collaborative effort of so many is an incredible feeling, and we are proud of the role it plays in the success of our students and the Region.”

“This state-of-the-art facility is just the latest in Ontario Power Generations’ decades’-long partnership with Durham College,” said Subo Sinnathamby, senior vice president, Nuclear Refurbishment, OPG. “This partnership helps educate and train career-ready graduates to build a diverse population of potential employees for the energy sector in skilled trades and STEM. Now more than ever, we need skilled, talented and qualified graduates to support our current and future operational and project needs.”

In less than three years, the DC Building for Skills campaign has raised $9.5 million toward the $10 million in community support required to fully fund the $35 million project, which includes generous funding from the Region of Durham, the Town of Whitby and the Durham College Student Association (DCSA), in addition to donations and gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations. Fundraising activities continue in an effort to close the gap, with an aim to complete the campaign this spring.

To read more about the CSTT, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/skills.