Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that it has been named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the sixth consecutive year, further emphasizing the college’s commitment to sustainability.

Awarded as part of the 2022 editorial competition organized by the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project, this designation recognizes employers who create remarkable workplaces that minimize the environmental impact of their operations. DC was evaluated on how it incorporates environmental values into its everyday culture, and how it attracts employees through its green initiatives.

This year, the college was recognized for its culture of sustainability at both the Oshawa and Whitby campuses. DC continues to prioritize its green initiatives, from heating and cooling select buildings using geothermal energy to developing an organic regeneration system at the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (Weston Centre).

“We are incredibly proud to receive this accolade – it emphasizes just how important sustainability is at Durham College, and how committed we are to leading the way to a greener future,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “From our dedicated facilities team, identifying environmentally-friendly projects each year, to our employees and students who are supported by college initiatives that help them make greener choices, sustainability is a way of life at Durham College – and we are proud to make this difference together.

At the micro level, DC has installed bottle fillers across campus to reduce the use of plastic, low-flow water systems in bathrooms to save water, and LED lights and charging stations for electric vehicles across campus to assist with energy-saving initiatives.

Recent capital projects like the Oshawa campus geothermal field are also recognized through this award as helping to reduce the demand for heating and cooling through natural gas, as well as electricity generation. At the Whitby campus, the Weston Centre is home to unique and innovative new projects like the organic regeneration system, which will produce waste compost for use in the college’s agricultural growing fields, creating a field-to-fork and back to field cycle.

You can read more about how DC is leading the way to a greener future online.

On March 24 Durham College (DC)’s Youth, Justice and Interventions program (YJI) hosted the 10th annual Youth Justice Symposium in partnership with Victim Services Durham Region (VSDR). Each year, a topic impacting young Canadians is selected as the focus of the event. This year’s chosen issue was Human Trafficking Prevention, identified by VSDR as an important subject for youth aged 12 to 15 to understand.

YJI students were tasked with developing a curriculum for grades 7 to 10 which addressed gender empowerment, internet safety, healthy relationships and human trafficking. They also created lesson plans and activities to facilitate teaching and learning about human trafficking, garnering strong positive feedback from participants. In fact, the symposium was viewed online in classrooms across the Durham and Kawartha regions by 9,000 students and more than 500 educators and principals.

“Our Youth, Justice and Interventions program students were so excited to see the results of their work come together with such success,” says Joanne Spicer, interim associate dean, School of Justice and Emergency Services. “Not only do they achieve the sense of accomplishment that comes from developing and running a conference, but they also learn the importance of working as a team, fostering collaborative community relationships and delivering an impactful event.”

YJI participants left with the knowledge that their contributions and efforts for the symposium have directly and positively impacted the lives of the attendees, helping make a better future. DC is proud of the successful community partnership and would like to recognize the impressive efforts of the YJI program students who worked so diligently to improve the community by raising awareness on the threat of human trafficking and the actions that help to prevent it.

Durham College (DC) is excited to reinvent the college experience and offer eight certificate, graduate certificate and diploma programs through the School of Business, IT & Management (BITM) and the School of Health & Community Services (HCS) in a new, flexible weekend delivery format.

The weekend delivery concept was designed to meet the needs of students looking for opportunities to study full-time and benefit from on-campus learning experiences without having to attend traditional weekday in-person classes.

The weekend delivery programs include:

• Artificial Intelligence Analysis, Design and Implementation, graduate certificate
• Business – Entrepreneurship and Small Business, diploma
• Cybersecurity, graduate certificate
• Data Analytics for Business Decision Making, graduate certificate
• Human Resources Management, graduate certificate
• International Business Management, graduate certificate
• Personal Support Worker, certificate
• Project Management, graduate certificate

As part of BITM’s weekend delivery, at least half of the classes will be offered in-person on Saturdays and Sundays and students will have the option to choose between in-person and real-time remote learning at any time. Friday evening instruction will be delivered remotely through a combination of real-time (synchronous) and self-directed (asynchronous) learning, meaning students can choose to participate while the class is being delivered, or at a time that works best for their busy schedules.

“By reimagining what post-secondary education looks like, we can pivot and adapt our programming in a way that better meets our students’ needs,” says Kevin Baker, executive dean, School of Business, IT & Management. “Earning a college credential while continuing to work will allow our students the opportunity to upskill and advance their career in a way that suits their schedule.”

The School of Health & Community Services has already seen the benefits of a flexible weekend model through its Practical Nursing – Flex Program, which launched in 2016 and remains the only program of it’s kind in Ontario. Building on this success, the Personal Support Worker weekend delivery program will offer theory-based courses through a combination of in-person and real-time remote learning, while continuing to offer in-person labs to the same standards as the traditional weekday format.

“With the student experience top of mind, weekend delivery unleashes possibilities that may have been out of reach with traditional weekday formats,” says Ralph Hofmann, interim executive dean, School of Health & Community Services. “We’ve seen this first-hand through the success of the Practical Nursing Flex Program, and look forward to exploring additional ways to proactively meet the growing needs of our students and reinvent the college experience.”

With over 140+ market-driven programs, Durham College is committed to leading the way for the next generation of industry professionals. To learn more about weekend delivery at DC, visit www.durhamcollege.ca/weekenddelivery.

Durham College (DC) is proud to share that President Don Lovisa has signed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Accord, joining more than 250 educational institutions internationally in fighting global injustice and committing to a central and transformational role in achieving the United Nation’s SDGs by 2030.

“By signing this accord, Durham College is supporting the advancement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals; taking meaningful action within our own institution and drawing on our strengths in collaboration and innovation to help transform our local and global community,” said Lovisa.

As part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, the 17 SDGs are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – to form a global partnership to achieve these goals. The SDGs recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

The SDG Accord was created to inspire, celebrate and advance the critical role that education has in progressing the SDGs and highlight the benefits they bring to governments, businesses and wider society. It has currently been signed by 255 educational institutions, 53 student unions, 221 support organizations, and 1671 individuals across the post-secondary sector around the world.

As a member of the accord, DC will collaborate with other signatory learning institutions and annually share the college’s progress with our campus community, and with sector SDG reporting metrics presented at the annual UN High Level Political Forum. The college will also continue to recognize the indivisible and interconnected nature of the SDGs by focusing its initiatives on the Accord’s universal set of goals – people, prosperity, the planet, partnership and peace.

For more information on the SDG Accord, please visit www.sdgaccord.org.

For the second consecutive year, Durham College’s (DC) annual Gear Up to Get Hired events and Job Fair went virtual to help students and alumni job seekers find part-time, seasonal, full-time and contract roles and prepare for life after college.

From January 24 to February 2, students and alumni attended webinars and sessions, prepared by DC’s Career Development office, on how to create a personal pitch, resumé writing techniques, using LinkedIn and more before putting their new skills to work at the Virtual Job Fair on February 3.

Durham College and Ontario Tech University students and alumni networked virtually with organizations and businesses from a variety of economic sectors, including community services, manufacturing, skilled trades, information technology, engineering, health care, hospitality and emergency services.

This year’s interactive platform replicated a traditional, in-person job fair, offering students exciting new features to personalize their experience, such as the ability to upload a resumé and academic information to their profile. With 112 employers in attendance, the platform provided the opportunity for over 1,300 one-on-one conversations between job seekers and employers. It also featured added recruitment benefits for employers, including dedicated business profiles and the ability to search for qualified candidates.

DC’s Career Development office provides students and alumni with year-round support for all things career-related, including support for resumé building and cover letter writing, interviewing skills and job search strategies. To learn more, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/careerdevelopment.

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.