It was another busy year at Durham College (DC)! From hosting events, launching new programs, establishing partnerships and winning awards, our DC community has truly been leading the way in 2022.

Here’s a look at some of our favourite highlights of the year.

Events

In-person events were back on the calendar this spring for the first time since 2019 with Convocation, which saw more than 3,500 students cross the stage and Open House welcoming the next generation of DC students. The Harvest Dinner also returned, with students from the horticulture, culinary, events management and hospitality programs working together to create a memorable evening for 105 guests.

We also led the way with a number of unique educational opportunities at DC. The STOP THE BLEED® event set a record with over 200 campus community members learning life-saving skills. And, later in the year, Grade 7 and 8 girls explored potential careers during the Expand the Possibilities 4.0: Young Women in Science, Technology and Trades Conference event.

News

The grand opening of the new Ontario Power Generation Centre for Skilled Trades and Technology marked a new era for the Whitby campus. Filled with numerous specialized labs and shops, it solidifies DC’s status as a top destination for students entering the industrial skilled trades.

DC’s Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship celebrated many funding achievements: the Social Impact Hub received a $25,000 grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada; Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada provided more than $100,000 in funding for two of its work-integrated learning projects; and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada granted $440,000 in COVID recovery funding.

Our commitment to social responsibility remained strong this year. The DC community teamed with the Global Guardian Project to send life-saving medical kits to Ukraine, and President Don Lovisa committed to fighting global injustice by signing the Sustainable Developments Goals accord. We also published our first Diversity Self-Identification survey.

DC and Metrolinx made history with a 10-year naming partnership that saw the former Oshawa GO Station renamed Durham College Oshawa GO. And our footprint continued to expand when we partnered with the Barrett Family Foundation, Invest Durham and Durham Region to break ground on the Barrett Centre for Urban Agriculture’s new urban farm project in north Ajax.

Programs

DC continued its push to evolve post-secondary education in a number of ways this year.

Two new technology-focused programs began in September, and eight certificate, graduate certificate and diploma programs will now be available in a flexible weekend delivery format. Another accelerated version of the Personal Support Worker program will allow students to graduate within six months while a new compressed Early Childhood Education program will enable students to graduate within 14 months.

Funding from the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development allowed DC to launch three Pre-Apprenticeship programs to increase the number of Canadians who are job-ready in a skilled trade, and employment-seekers facing higher barriers to entry. Finally, DC announced a pair of new degree programs; the Honours Bachelor of Community Mental Health and the Honours Bachelor of Paralegal. Both programs will launch in September 2023.

Accolades

DC students are among the best and brightest, and they proved it all year.

Eight students won awards at the 2022 Virtual Skills Ontario Competition, five of whom travelled to Vancouver, leading the way to silver and bronze medal victories at the Skills Canada National competition.

Five Project Management students won first place in the Ontario Project Management Competition and two Game-Art students made waves at Ubisoft Toronto’s NEXT competition.

Two students were named Canada’s best new student chefs at the Taste Canada Awards Gala. Enactus DC won the RBC Future Launch Accelerator and ranked in the top 20 of all social initiatives at the Enactus Canada National Exposition. They had another triumph when they placed first at the Hong Kong Global Social Innovation Summit.

DC’s student-produced newspaper, The Chronicle, took home top honours in the General Excellence – College/University category at the Ontario Community Newspaper Association’s Better Newspapers competition.

Former students have also been making news this year. Cody Partridge, a 2011 graduate of the Music Business program, notched four wins at the Canadian Sync Awards. In the fall, 2015 Culinary Management graduate Trevane ‘Tre’ Sanderson claimed victory on the hit show Top Chef Canada.

The college received its own accolades as well. DC was named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the sixth consecutive year, and one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for the 12th time.

As we embark on the year ahead, DC will undoubtedly continue to lead the way in Durham Region and beyond.

Continuing its tradition of excellence and commitment to employee feedback and family-friendly policies

Durham College (DC) is proud to be named one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for 2023 marking the 12th time the college has received this honour.

“We are grateful to be recognized once again as a Greater Toronto Top Employer, which confirms what we already know: that DC is an exceptional place to work and learn,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “Our success is a true testament to the dedication, innovation and expertise of our employees who continue to lead the way across all departments and Faculties, resulting in a unique and transformative education and college experience for our students.”

Among many reasons for selection as a Top Employer, DC was recognized for its commitment to receiving employee feedback and ideas. Employee testimonials were also featured throughout the application, showcasing the college’s collaborative sense of community.

This year’s application also highlighted some of the amazing initiatives underway at DC. From launching the Social Impact Hub, the Centre for Organic Regeneration and the Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Agriculture, to opening campus facilities like the Ontario Power Generation Centre Skilled Trades and Technology, DC and its employees truly are leading the way.

The selection committee acknowledged DC for its:

• Diversity and inclusion – A number of initiatives, including a college-wide census, providing learning experiences that embrace the Indigenous ways of knowing and acknowledge the history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada and supporting the Black North Initiative, are among the work designed to support and encourage diversity across DC.
• Family-friendly policies and excellent maternity and parental leave benefits, which include paid leave for mothers, 35 weeks of paid leave for partners and adoptive parents, and 93 per cent salary top-up benefits.
• Tuition assistance for employees and their dependents.
• Defined benefit pension plan with employer-matched contributions.
• Retirement planning assistance and maintained connections through the Retiree Association.

More information can be found on DC’s Greater Toronto Top Employers profile.

Durham College (DC) is home to the country’s best new student chefs, according to Taste Canada.

Second-year Culinary Management students Adreanna Russell and Sahil Ahuja took home the top honors at the 2022 Taste Canada Awards Gala in early November. The pair beat out teams from seven other schools to win the Cooks the Books student cooking competition.

“I can’t even tell you how big that moment was for us,” said Ahuja.

As the winners, Russell and Ahuja split a $3,000 educational bursary, along with over $2,000 worth of prizes.

“Once we realized we won, we were in shock,” said Russell. “It was such an honor for us, and a great opportunity.”

The students were tasked with designing a dish featuring a cut of Canadian beef. Under the skilled eye of faculty member Peter Lee, they chose corned beef tongue with mustard jus, pickled cabbage and glazed carrots.

“We chose beef tongue because we wanted to try something different, use an underutilized cut and show everyone it can be delicious,” explained Lee. “If you look at a raw beef tongue, even a cooked tongue, it doesn’t look very appetizing. But it’s absolutely delicious.”

In addition to showcasing their culinary talents, the event was also a great networking opportunity. The DC chefs made the most of it by connecting with students and instructors from other college’s, including the second-place team from Top Toques Institute, as well as professionals from the Canadian food industry.

Both students credit the experimental learning they have received at DC for pushing them to new heights as they prepare for their careers.

“I’ve enjoyed every second here at Durham. All the chefs are industry professionals who have given me the best experience,” said Russell. “They’ve connected me with people outside the college for job opportunities; those have been the best jobs I’ve had in my life and career.”

Ahuja considers himself lucky to be at DC, having come all the way from India to study here in the hopes of one day opening a restaurant.

If a career as a chef appeals to you, check out DC’s in demand food and hospitality programs.