Facing off against 300 student competitors from all regions of Canada, five Durham College (DC) students were awarded medals during the prestigious 2022 Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC), in Vancouver, British Columbia on May 26 and 27. In addition to the student competitors, more than 3,000 visitors, industry leaders and government officials were in attendance.

Bringing home silver from SCNC was Holly White in the Aesthetics category, Abigayle Hamilton and Emma Pace for Landscape Gardening and Jared Toomey for IT Networking. Christopher Santoli also received bronze in the Photography category. Prior to claiming their silver and bronze medal victories, all students competed at the 2022 Skills Ontario Competition and won gold or silver in their respective categories, allowing them to advance to the national competition.

“We are incredibly proud of these talented students – whose practical knowledge and dedication have just been rewarded at one of the most prestigious skills competitions in Canada – and their faculty mentors who supported them throughout the competition,” said Dr. Elaine Popp, executive vice president, Academic. “These victories and the recognition at both the national and provincial level are further proof that Durham College programs prepare our students for career success as they become the industry leaders of tomorrow.”

Skills Canada was founded in 1989 as a national not‐for‐profit organization that works with employers, educators, labour groups and governments to promote skilled trade and technology careers among Canadian youth. SCNC is the only multi-trade and technology competition for students and apprentices in the country. By providing a forum where young Canadians can compete at the national level, SCNC provides hands-on work experience related to skilled trade and technology careers.

Following the success of Durham College’s (DC) Personal Support Worker (PSW) Accelerated program in 2021, the college will launch a new intake beginning Monday, June 27 to continue to educate future healthcare workers. Similar to the 2021 intakes, tuition and ancillary fees for accepted students in the June 2022 intake will be covered by the Ontario government, with students having the ability to graduate within six months with full PSW credentials.

The accelerated program is delivered in a hybrid model that combines remote learning with in-person laboratory classes and hands-on activities in care settings, providing important experiential learning opportunities to students. After three months, students will also participate in a paid work placement.

“Now more than ever, our health-care system is relying on Durham College to quickly and efficiently deliver on the exceptional education DC is known for to prepare well-trained and compassionate graduates for work in the PSW field,” said Dr. Elaine Popp, executive vice president, Academic, DC. “By offering additional intakes of this highly successful program, our students have the opportunity to explore a dynamic and in-demand field while making a difference and leading the way in their community.”

PSWs are front-line care providers whose responsibilities focus on the personal care and support that include activities of daily living with client populations across institutional, community care and service settings. They provide client-centred care to enhance and maintain the quality of everyday life. Through dedicated faculty, enhanced curriculum, skills and certifications obtained in the course of study, and implementation of several interprofessional education and simulation opportunities, and access to valuable community partners, students will graduate well-prepared and career-ready.

Students who are currently enrolled in the winter 2022 intake of the traditional PSW program, as well as those planning to enroll for fall 2022 are eligible to receive a $2,000 bursary to support their studies.

More information about the PSW Accelerated program, including admission requirements, answers to FAQs, and details to apply can be found online.

Durham College (DC) students and alumni from the Journalism – Mass Media program triumphed at this year’s Ontario Community Newspaper Association’s (OCNA) Better Newspapers Competition.

Every year, the member newspapers of OCNA compete for a chance to have their journalism work recognized as exemplary.

For the third consecutive year, DC’s student-produced newspaper, The Chronicle, has taken home first place in the General Excellence – College/University category. In recent years, the Chronicle has been praised for its fine photography and layout, as well as its ongoing professionalism, gripping storytelling skills and superb editorial work. The Chronicle also scored honourable mentions in the Best College/University Newspaper Website category.

DC students also enjoyed individual success at this year’s competition. Allaya Sue and Shaun McLeod, graduates of the Journalism – Mass Media program, took home first and third respectively in the Student Feature Writing category. The awards also recognized DC alumnus Chad Ingram, who placed second in the Premier Awards – Best Editorial, circulation under 9,999 category, writing for the Minden Times.

Congratulations to DC’s Journalism – Mass Media students, alumni and faculty for this well-earned celebration of their dedication and hard work.

Ryan Honey and William Marques, students of Durham College’s (DC) Game-Art program, were recently announced as finalists of Ubisoft Toronto NEXT, an annual competition designed to showcase the talents and help kickstart the careers of Ontario video game development students.

On May 12, Ryan and William took first place in 3D Art and second place in Technical Art, respectively. As the winner of the 3D Art category, Ryan has secured an internship with Ubisoft’s team in Toronto, where he’ll further develop his professional skill set at one of the most recognizable names in the gaming industry.

“We are so proud of Ryan and William for the work they’ve done and all they accomplished in the Ubisoft Toronto Next competition,” says Greg Murphy, dean, School of Media, Art & Design. “When we see DC students enjoying this level of success, it only goes to show that our program and our faculty are providing students the knowledge they need to thrive and lead the way in the world of game art and design.”

During a virtual ceremony to announce the winners, Ubisoft lauded Ryan’s piece, which demonstrated his eye for composition and strong attention to detail. Judges also complimented William’s work, praising the variety of techniques he applied and referring to his work as a good show of innovation.

“It was months of hard work for Ryan and William to put these pieces together, and it shows,” says Ryan Miller, project manager, Mixed Reality Capture (MRC) Studio. “Students can adapt school projects to accommodate the competition requirements, but they still have to manage the workload in their other classes. Luckily, they have a lot of support from DC’s professors, who provide feedback and critiques before the submission goes to Ubisoft.”

Now recently graduated, Ryan and William were able to further hone their skills through the work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences offered through MRC Studio. During their time as students, they gained valuable hands-on learning from working with clients like game studios, animation companies and technology partners, as they produced 3D art, technical art, and prototypes at a professional level.

DC congratulates Ryan and William on their achievements at Ubisoft Toronto NEXT and thanks the DC faculty who offered additional guidance to help them along the way.

Durham College Journalism – Mass Media student Andrew Neary took third place at the inaugural Ontario Colleges Incubator Network (OCIN) PitchIt Competition on May 3.

Andrew’s first-ever pitch for his growing business, Kettleboy Coffee, landed him a $1,000 award to help grow his operation, plus a Shopify package valued at $4,500 to expand his online services. OCIN PitchIt included eight high-achieving entrepreneur finalists from colleges across Ontario who presented their startups online to a panel of judges and a live audience.

Andrew credits the team at FastStart for his success, helping him with everything from developing a business model canvas to graphic design and videography.

“In the week leading up to the finals, the FastStart team helped me craft a better presentation than I could have imagined on my own,” Andrew said. “I am grateful for this team and hopeful that every student interested in business ownership at DC takes the time to meet the team and sign up.”

Durham College and FastStart congratulate Andrew on his success. To read about his experience, visit his DC blog post.

To learn more about DC’s entrepreneurial resources for students, visit the FastStart site.

Durham College’s (DC) Photography and Video Production programs have partnered with the Robert McLaughlin Gallery (RMG) to produce a student-led exhibition of visual images captured throughout Durham Region. Currently on display at the RMG in the Thomas Bouckley Corridor, the collection is the cumulative work of 32 first-year students who were carefully selected from a pool of 79 submissions.

Spearheaded by K. Jennifer Bedford, professor, School of Media, Art and Design, planning for this partnership and resulting exhibition first began three years ago, well before the pandemic started.

“Images are such powerful communication tools that can help challenge our way of thinking and engage in emotional, meaningful conversations,” says Bedford. “I am so proud of what the students accomplished and how they applied their technical knowledge to create photographs that explore a personal connection to the community.”

In this work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunity, students were asked to explore photovoice, a process in which participants capture their lived experience to share perspectives with others. The results displayed similar shared themes, such as dealing with the effects of COVID, empty streets and paths, and the perspectives of newcomers to Durham Region.

“Our school went into the partnership with the Robert McLaughlin Gallery hoping the experience would teach our students new skills that would help them tell their stories,” says Greg Murphy, dean, School of Media, Art and Design. “When you look at the collection, it’s clear that this exercise has developed the students’ personal photography styles and helped them become leaders as future Canadian artists.”

Congratulations to the following DC student photographers whose work was included in the curated exhibition on display.

DC would like to thank the RMG for its ongoing support of our aspiring artists, with special thanks to Sonya Jones, curator of collections, RMG, who helped bring the partnership to fruition. With community partners like the RMG, DC students are afforded every opportunity to flourish and grow into the leaders of tomorrow.

Please visit the onsite student display at the RMG, available for viewing until June 12. You are also welcome to view the exhibition online. It features photographs from all 79 students who participated in the project.

Durham College (DC) is proud to share that eight students achieved victory at the 2022 Virtual Skills Ontario Competition on May 4, bringing home seven medals, including five gold, one silver and one bronze. Virtual for the second year in a row, the competition and Career Exploration Showcase welcomed thousands of elementary, secondary and post-secondary attendees to discover new skilled trade and technology careers, while students competed against one another in categories from numerous fields.

The winning students include:

• Holly White – Silver – Aesthetics
• Yasmin Parhizi – Gold – Aesthetics
• Abigayle Hamilton and Emma Pace – Gold – Horticulture & Landscape
• Daniel Hinbest – Gold – Coding Programming
• Jared Toomey – Gold – IT Network Systems Administrations
• Christopher Santoli – Gold – Photography
• Owen Jackson – Bronze – Photography

“Our students continuously impress us with their talent, determination and commitment to their crafts, and this competition is no different,” said Dr. Elaine Popp, executive vice president, Academic. “From capturing moments in time as art, to writing complicated code for programming, these students are leading the way in their own right. We are proud of them for using the skills they’ve learned at Durham College to fuel their passion and find success.”

Good luck to the students who will represent DC and Ontario in the 27th Annual Skills Canada National Competition to be held in Vancouver from Thursday, May 26 to Friday, May 27.

Skills Ontario is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of skilled trades and technologies as viable, first-choice career options for Ontario youth through programs and initiatives such as provincial skills competitions.