Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce it has once again been named one of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges for 2021 by Research Infosource Inc. This is the eighth time the college has received this honour, which is informed by data on research income, intensity, partnerships and projects at colleges across the country.

This year, in addition to moving up in the main ranking to 39th, the college was also ranked second for Paid Student Researchers and Industry Research Income Intensity among mid-tier institutions.

DC’s Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE), which facilitates all applied research at the college, has been supporting small to medium-sized businesses and student experiential learning through innovation and collaboration since its inception in 2009.

“This recognition is an incredible success for our research team at the college,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “Not only does it recognize the innovation taking place within our research centres, but it also showcases the college’s strong commitment to experiential learning and community partnerships.”

Highlights from 2021 include the launch of a new applied research centre – the Social Impact Hub – which joins the already well-established AI Hub, Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation, Mixed Reality Capture Studio and Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation, allowing the college to further broaden its expertise and diversify its research portfolio. ORSIE also hosted its second Enable AI Summit in 2021 for 230 industry professionals, and received funding to support its first-ever postdoctoral fellowship.

Over the last decade, ORSIE has worked with 190 industry partners on 409 projects involving more than 665 students, allowing DC to make its mark as a leading research institution through cutting-edge innovation, growth and impactful work.

Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce a region-wide partnership between the college’s School of Business, IT & Management (BITM) and the eight Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade located in Durham Region. Launched in Fall 2021, this partnership provides every first-year BITM diploma student a membership in all Durham Region Chambers and Boards of Trade for the duration of their studies, plus an additional year following graduation.

The goal of this partnership is to enhance their experience by helping students jumpstart their careers. Membership to the municipal Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade will grant students access to events where they can meet local professionals and potential future employers, develop key relationships in the industry and engage in professional development opportunities.

“As leaders in transformative education, this new partnership demonstrates Durham College’s commitment to supporting the local business community through the creation of highly skilled students, graduates and applied researchers,” says Kevin Baker, executive dean, School of Business, IT & Management. “Partnering with Durham Region’s Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade will provide exciting and unique educational opportunities for students to develop an understanding of the community’s business sector and create meaningful connections with industry members within it.”

Sharing a dedication to fostering business communities through connection, learning and leadership, DC is proud to be partnering with the following:

• Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade
• Brock Board of Trade
• Clarington Board of Trade
• Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce
• Newcastle and District Chamber of Commerce
• Scugog Chamber of Commerce
• Uxbridge Chamber of Commerce
• Whitby Chamber of Commerce

Speaking to this new partnership and the benefits it brings to the education and business communities, the Durham Region joint Chambers and Boards of Trade said, “this collaboration with Durham College is precedent setting. The Chambers and Boards of Trade in Durham Region are thrilled to participate in this initiative. Bringing educators, the business community and students together across municipalities to deliver strategic programing supports our collective desire to nurture talent in our region. This partnership ensures we have the workforce to sustain the continued growth and prosperity of our communities.”

In addition to increasing their profile and establishing meaningful connections, DC students will gain unique business insight prior to entering the workforce, providing them with the necessary skills to face complex challenges and embrace opportunities for growth.

As the first partnership of this magnitude, Durham College is looking forward to elevating the student experience and leading the way for future partnerships to be developed and explored.

Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that it has received $900,000 in funding from the Weston Family Foundation to create a new Centre for Organic Regeneration at the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food.

A 1,500-sq. ft. facility and composting system, the Centre for Organic Regeneration will enable DC to complete the field-to-fork (and now back-to-field) loop by processing food waste from the Whitby campus and returning it to the earth, specifically the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food fields. This will reduce food waste on campus by 90 per cent while lessening the need for compost from outside sources.

The new facility will also create research and work-integrated-learning opportunities and will be incorporated into the curriculum for related programs.

“Sustainability in urban farming has always guided the development of the Weston Centre,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “The new organic regeneration facility is one more way we can continue to lead the way in best practices for food and farming.”

This donation represents the Weston Family Foundation’s ongoing commitment to ecologically based agriculture practices, and its overall goal of delivering measurable impacts to the well-being of Canadians.

“We are pleased to help bring this world-class facility to life at Durham College,” said Emma Adamo, chair, Weston Family Foundation. “We hope the Centre for Organic Regeneration will not only significantly reduce food waste on campus, but also provide a model for other like-minded institutions to emulate moving forward.”

DC is proud of the continued growth and innovation at the Whitby campus and recognizes the integral link between this success and the generous history of support from the Foundation. Past donations have helped establish the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, as well as the vertical and hydroponic facilities and expanded greenhouses, in addition to funding scholarships and bursaries for students studying programs through DC’s School of Hospitality & Horticultural Science.

“Just as it takes a team of faculty, students and employees to bring our fields, gardens and orchards to life each year, it also takes a network of businesses and organizations to help the college achieve its goals,” said Lovisa. “We are extremely grateful to the Weston Family Foundation for their support of the work we do each and every day to drive positive change and innovation in food and farming education.”

Durham College’s (DC) Academic Upgrading office is delighted to announce the successful completion of the Introduction to Millwright project at the Ontario Power Generation (OPG) Darlington Energy Complex.

The six-week training program was delivered to a cohort of eight individuals from Indigenous communities in the area who made significant life changes to commit to the program with the goal of being successfully indentured into the Millwright Regional Council of Ontario (MRCO) as first year apprentices.

The program consisted of two weeks of in-class academic upgrading to prepare students for the communications, math and spatial reasoning segments of the Millwright aptitude test, as well as a four-week Introduction to Millwrighting course delivered by qualified MRCO sister training instructors with weekly support from the Academic Upgrading team.

In addition to DC’s Academic Upgrading program, the following organizations were involved in the creation, funding and delivery of the Introduction to Millwright project:

• Aboriginal Apprenticeship Board of Ontario
• First Nations Power Authority
• Indigenous Opportunities Network
• Kigita Mikam Aboriginal Employment & Training
• Millwright Local 2309
• Millwright Regional Council of Ontario
• OPG
• Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries

This successful partnership between DC, industry, union and community-based organizations is a testament to what can be accomplished when there is a demonstrated commitment to improving opportunities for Indigenous candidates into the trades.

November 13 marked Durham College’s (DC) fourth Virtual Open House event in two years, as DC’s dedicated employees, faculty and students logged on to welcome more than 1,500 prospective students and their families as they explored DC online. Checking in from across the globe, visitors from 50 countries benefited from the immersive, virtual format as they got an inside look at DC and gained access to important information that will help them prepare for their college experience.

Through informative live program information and student support services sessions, visitors had the opportunity to ask questions about DC’s more than 140 market-driven programs and learned about financing their education, living on campus, career outcomes and everything in between.

Guided virtual tours of campus spaces, including learning environments, residence, applied research centres and wellness facilities, allowed visitors to envision themselves on our campuses. Attendees also had the chance to enter to win a $5,000 tuition credit, fall 2022 semester parking passes, Flex Dollar meal cards and DC swag.

Since last year, DC has welcomed more than 12,000 visitors to virtual student recruitment events and information sessions, providing the opportunity to create the meaningful connections between visitors and DC community members that are a hallmark of the college’s pre-pandemic in-person events.

For more information on applying to DC and upcoming student recruitment events, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/student-recruitment or reach out to recruitment@durhamcollege.ca.

Durham College (DC) is continuing to celebrate the achievements of the class of 2021 with a virtual celebration and lawn sign pick-up event for all fall graduates. While a physical convocation ceremony wasn’t possible this year, festivities are once again in full swing as friends, family and the entire college community come together to celebrate the hard work of its more than 1,300 graduates.

Filled with elements typically seen at convocation, like messages of congratulations from DC’s leadership team and Board of Governors, as well as important information about alumni perks and benefits, the college’s Convocation Recognition Website officially launched on October 28 as a celebratory send-off for students who have achieved their credential. While grads will be invited to attend an in-person ceremony when it is safe to do so, it was important to mark the completion of their credentials once the semester ended.

The site also features:

• The names and programs of all graduating students.
• The names of student award winners.
• Virtual shout-outs and recognition for grads submitted by family, friends, faculty and more.
• A list of frequently asked questions related to graduation.
• Links to order DC merchandise, from grad rings to flowers.
• Information about life as college alumni.
• Digital DC swag so #DCGrad2021 pride can be shared online.
• Acknowledgement of the Alumni of Distinction awardwinners for 2021.

The DC Alumni Association (DCAA) also celebrated graduates with two days of exciting events centered around the pick-up of a free, DC-branded lawn sign for display at graduates’ homes to proudly mark their achievement.

“On behalf of the entire college community, I’d like to extend congratulations to each and every one of our fall graduates on their incredible achievements, as well as the resilience and perseverance they’ve shown during a particularly challenging year,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “These graduates are job ready with an education grounded in transformative, hands-on learning and innovation that has prepared them to meet the world head-on. We couldn’t be more DC proud of them.”

On October 26, Durham College (DC) once again hosted the Expand The Possibilities: Young Women in Science, Technology and Trades (YWSTT) conference, which saw more than 1,000 students in Grades 7 and 8, from five school board across Ontario, virtually come together for a morning of exploration designed to connect them with careers in science, technology and skilled trades designed to encourage girls to pursue careers in science, technology and skilled trades.

 Beginning with an inspiring keynote presentation from Gitanjali Rao, who has been recognized as America’s Top Young Scientist and one of Forbes “30 Under 30 in Science”, as well as TIME’s “Top Young Innovator” and “Kid of the Year” for her innovations and STEM workshops, the students then participated in hands-on workshops.

Each workshop was led virtually by DC faculty and employees, along with active facilitation on the part of the classroom teachers, and featured a variety of engaging experiments and challenges. Examples included coding a Bristlebot; making bath bombs with household ingredients; building a pasta tower and discussing social media safety.

This is the third time DC has hosted the conference, which was the largest to-date, and it couldn’t have been done without the generosity and support of community sponsors General Motors of Canada, Gerdau, Ontario Power Generation, RESCON and Black & McDonald.

More information about YWSTT, as well as a unique post-conference plant growing competition for the attending classes to participate in over the next month and a half, is available online.

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) will continue its decade-long collaboration with Durham College (DC) and Ontario Tech University through a new $5-million investment.

“It’s important for us to invest in the next generation of talent to help power Ontario’s energy workforce,” said Ken Hartwick, OPG president and CEO. “This is a dynamic time for the energy industry, as we move toward electrification and efficient economy-wide decarbonization. We know this partnership will ensure the right people with the right skills are ready to be the generation to power the future to meet Ontario’s increasing electricity needs.”

The funding will assist in recruiting and retaining students—including those currently under-represented in the industry, such as women and Indigenous people—to build a diverse population of potential employees for the energy sector in skilled trades, science, engineering and technology. Much of this will focus on technology development in the energy sector for climate change initiatives, including:

• Electrification, particularly in the transportation sector
• New nuclear, including small modular reactors
• Renewable generation projects

The funding will be provided in annual installments over five years.

“As a leader in post-secondary trades and technology education, we are preparing our students to be career-ready as they pursue a future in highly specialized sectors that are facing a critical labour shortage,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “Continuing our partnership with OPG will support innovative capital projects that enhance our training facilities, as well as provide vital financial support for traditionally underrepresented groups in skilled trades, technology and science careers.”

The partnership also focuses on research and development to support OPG’s Climate Change Plan, as well as digital and data innovation including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, augmented and virtual reality.

“Ontario Tech University deeply values its foundational partnership with OPG, whose investment in our innovative programs and high-tech research infrastructure helps prepare career-ready graduates who excel in the changing energy landscape,” said Dr. Steven Murphy, president and vice-chancellor, Ontario Tech University. “The partnership has always been a natural fit, with energy making up the university’s greatest applied research strength. We look forward to charting a bold energy future for Canada with OPG in the years to come.”

The three partners have long collaborated to meet the need for career-ready energy sector workers and provide training opportunities to OPG employees to build skills through industry-related college and university programs.

A recent donation through OPG’s Centre for Canadian Nuclear Sustainability supported construction of DC’s new Centre for Skilled Trades and Technology at its Whitby campus and highlights OPG’s ongoing commitment to the development of skilled trades and training.

OPG has also worked with Ontario Tech to assist the university in establishing industry-responsive and market-driven academic programs, including micro-credentials and upskilling opportunities.

Under the terms of the renewed partnership, the college and university will work together on the implementation of bridging programs between the two institutions to produce graduates with a greater range of technical skills and knowledge.