Durham College (DC) has announced the winners of its first-ever Experience Video contest. Christine Carson, Ivan Nimtsiv and Saiss Parthipan created the top three videos and won $1,000 in cash!

Launched via the Experience DC campaign, the Experience Video Contest was open to any resident from across Ontario over the age of 15. Entrants were encouraged to submit a 15-second Instagram video about a life experience, and the top three videos with the most votes received the cash prize.

“I look at life in a positive sense, I have the will to win, the desire to succeed and the urge to reach my full potential,” said winner Ivan Nimtsiv, first-year Human Resources – Business student. “This money will help me to pay for school.”

Saiss, a second-year UOIT student, said he saw the contest on Facebook and decided that his video would share life from a student’s perspective.

Mom and Oshawa resident, Christine, found out about the contest online and decided to submit a video featuring her baby Reid. “Everyone loves babies and baby videos,” she said.

With more than 27,000 visits to its web page and over 10,000 votes on video submissions, the contest provided an opportunity for residents across Ontario to share their story with a group of 14 dynamic DC students known as Team Experience and falls perfectly in line with the multi-platform Experience DC campaign.

Team Experience has been sharing their own stories of college life since September 2014. They’ve connected on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram 20,000 times, on YouTube 150,000 times, and through more than 100 insightful blogs, giving followers an authentic, real-time account of what life at DC is like from their own perspective.

“It was great to see everyone’s creativity shine through in their 15-second videos,” said Matisse Hamel-Nelis, a second-year Public Relations student and member of Team Experience. “The word experience can mean different things to different people and this contest captured that essence. Congratulations to the winners and all those who submitted a video for sharing a piece of your day-to-day life with us.”

Anyone wanting to follow the adventures of the Team Experience members can visit www.durhamcollege.ca/x to check them out, and be a part of it.

Durham College (DC) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) are hosting a Campus Master Plan (CMP) Community Open House on March 9. Students, faculty, staff and the public are invited to learn more about the future Oshawa campus expansion of DC and UOIT; interact with the CMP planning team; and offer feedback on the areas of:

• Public areas and open spaces.
• Building locations and landscaping.
• Transportation: driving, transit, cycling and pedestrian

  When: Monday, March 9

  Time:

• Quick session: noon – Gordon Willey building, DC Pit
• Quick session: 1 p.m. – UA Science building, West Atrium
• Full session: 3:30 to 6 p.m. – Dining Room (Room G213), Gordon Willey building

For more information on the CMP and the Open House, please visit www.campusmasterplan.ca.

On January 28 and 29, Durham College (DC) hosted entrepreneurial fairs at its Oshawa and Whitby campuses, to launch FastStart.

At the fairs, students had the opportunity to meet successful business owners, ask them questions and learn about the FastStart program, designed to increase entrepreneurial skills and awareness while also helping students create solid business plans that take their products and services to market – quickly and successfully.

“One of the key mandates of FastStart is to offer progressive programs and provide tools and resources to connect students with industry leaders and mentors to help them succeed,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, director, Office of Research Services and Innovation. “The entrepreneurial fair gave students a chance to speak with successful business owners who place innovation at the heart of everything they do. We know this fair is going to be the first of many unique initiatives for FastStart at the college.”

Students also filled out a passport by visiting various booths for a chance to win a FitBit. In addition, the Student Association (SA), in partnership with FastStartDC, ran a contest for students to win an all-expenses paid trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia where they will attend the Starting Point Student Entrepreneurship Conference at St. Mary’s University (SMU). This opportunity is fully sponsored by the SA.

FastStart is a partnership between DC, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Fleming College and Trent University, all of which are working with Spark Centre and the Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster (GPIC) to promote and support entrepreneurship for students. It is inclusive to students in all programs, in all partnering schools, including alumni. It is also supported in part by the Government of Ontario through the On-Campus Entrepreneurship Activities program managed by Ontario Centres of Excellence. FastStart is a member of the Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs.

The companies attending the fair included:

• 5 Paddles Brewing Co.
• Acouskins
• Bereskin & Parr, LLP
• Blancride
• Business Advisory Centre of Durham (BACD)
• Frantastic Treats and Events
• Futurpreneur Canada
• Habitat for Humanity
• IFTech
• Moxie Trades
• National Pro Staff
• Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE)
• Spark Centre
• Student Association (SA)
• Zamba

Starting this September, Durham College (DC) will be offering students the chance to become professionals in accounting and payroll or insurance in just four semesters.

“With the new market-driven Insurance and Accounting and Payroll programs, students will benefit from career-focused skills and training offered in collaboration with industry professional associations,” said Judy Spring, dean of the School of Business, IT & Management.

With more Canadians turning to entrepreneurship, the need for trained accountants and payroll professionals is steadily rising across Canada. Enter DC’s new Accounting and Payroll diploma. This program prepares students to execute functions such as proactive management of payroll, assets, expenses, and tax and revenue obligations, and graduates will be ready for employment as accounting clerks; administrative assistants; banking clerks; bookkeepers; budget co-ordinators; and payroll administrators in accounting and human resources departments at small and large firms.

For students with a flair for numbers and relationship-building, along with an interest in risk management, DC’s Insurance diploma program offers a broad exposure to business with a specialization in general (property and casualty) insurance. Students will gain the knowledge required to work in areas of fraud awareness, client management, policies and legislation, and more. Graduates from the program can enter the workforce in junior-level positions as appraisers, brokers or agents; claims adjusters; customer service representatives; loss control specialists; risk managers; or underwriters.

“Graduates of Accounting and Payroll will complete the academic requirements for the Payroll Compliance Practitioner Certification (PCP) from the Canadian Payroll Association and all course requirements for the Certified Bookkeeper (CB) designation from the Canadian Institute of Bookkeeping,” said Spring. “Graduates of the Insurance program will complete eight of 10 credits towards the Chartered Insurance Professionals (CIP) designation offered by the Insurance Institute of Canada. Graduates of both programs will be well-positioned for employment opportunities.”

Apply now for this September by visiting www.ontariocolleges.ca.

Education and Careers in Insurance information session

Individuals seeking industry-driven training and education to meet future career goals in insurance are invited to join Spring for an insightful, free information session on Tuesday, February 24, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. to learn more about DC’s Insurance program, and hear what industry experts have to say about this dynamic sector, which employs nearly 77,000 Ontarians by insurance carriers or related services.

Guests will hear from industry experts from the Insurance Institute of Canada, followed by a panel discussion of insurance professionals. Visit our events calendar for more information.

Students, staff, faculty and classes from local elementary schools gathered at Durham College (DC) to celebrate Aboriginal Awareness Day on January 22. Sponsored by DC’s  Aboriginal Student Centre (ASC), Suswaaning Endaajig, the festivities included performances by the big drum and a women’s hand drum circle, an Inuit throat singer and a Métis fiddler, as well as storytelling.

“We are very proud to share Aboriginal culture with the campus and wider community,” said Julie Pigeon, Aboriginal student advisor for DC. “It’s a culture that is alive and well and hosting Aboriginal Awareness Day is a way to bring focus to the strong traditions that are carried on today by First Nations (status and non-status), Métis and Inuit peoples.”

Four classes from local elementary schools also attended in the morning and afternoon, participating in the opening prayer led by Elder Shirley Williams, dancing to the drums, and learning more about Aboriginal culture by visiting vendor and informational booths that lined the perimeter of the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre.

The ASC strives to recognize and support students through various activities and teachings with the assistance of Elders from all backgrounds and uses a holistic approach to education serving Aboriginal students focusing on their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.