Durham College’s (DC) Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) is pleased to announce it has been awarded two Mitacs Accelerate grants totalling $120,000, in support of two new applied research projects creating eight internships for DC students.

Mitacs is a not-for-profit organization that fosters growth and innovation in Canada by solving challenges with research solutions from academic institutions. It is funded by the Government of Canada with support from provincial governments across the country.

Among the first colleges in Ontario to access the program, the grants are allowing DC to build research partnerships while also giving students meaningful experiential learning opportunities to participate in research as paid interns. Not only does this help partner organizations that need their expertise, it contributes to the training of highly qualified research personnel by providing work-integrated opportunities at DC that support students’ career readiness.

“Hands-on and real-world experience is a crucial part of a world-class post-secondary education. That’s why our Government is proud to support our colleges and universities through Mitacs to create more work-integrated learning opportunities for Ontario students,” said Ross Romano, Minister of Colleges and Universities. “By helping our students get new experiences in their field of study, Durham College and Mitacs are giving their students access to the skills they need to find a good job and succeed in the career of their choice.”

“The Mitacs Accelerate program is a unique funding model that brings researchers, students and businesses together to solve real-world challenges,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “We are very excited to see the two research projects come to fruition and are grateful to be receiving support from our partner companies and Mitacs itself.”

Project One: Developing a unique inventory optimization model

Recognizing that manufacturing is a $174 billion industry in Canada, representing over 10 per cent of the total GDP and 68 per cent of merchandise exports, efficient inventory management plays a vital role in a business’s profitability.

Thanks to Mitacs funding, two DC students from the college’s Supply Chain and Operations Management – Business Administration (SOM) program have created an inventory optimization model that predicts factors affecting stock, as part of an internship with electronics manufacturer Creation Technologies LP.

Students worked under the supervision of Creation Technologies’ Supply Chain Leader Maura Kirby, who also sits on the SOM Program Advisory Committee at DC, and faculty researcher Brent Clemens, to create a system that can determine the optimal levels of supply needed to support customer needs, while meeting the company’s business targets. By creating significant cost-savings and improving customer satisfaction, the outcome of this project will support the company’s continued growth and the creation of high-quality jobs for Canadians.

During their internship, DC’s students applied the skills, theories, and concepts learned in their program in a workplace setting, while building their professional networks, and acquiring hands-on experience. Since the project ended in January, both students were hired by Creation Technologies.

“I am very pleased to be able to participate with Durham College and Mitacs on this project,” shared Kirby. “The students were able to apply their supply chain knowledge to help identify inventory factors contributing to the creation of the optimization model. Overall, this project has been a great success and has been a valuable learning experience for myself and the students.” 

Project Two: Improving recruitment for employers and job seekers

In today’s highly competitive job market, the recruitment industry often struggles with information overload and the ability to effectively match potential candidates with available positions.

To help address this problem, DC faculty researcher Uzair Ahmad and six interns from DC’s Artificial Intelligence Analysis, Design and Implementation and Data Analytics for Business Decision Making graduate certificate programs will work with Reachout Inc., a start-up company that is building a diversified early career community for post-secondary students and an end-to-end virtual recruiting platform for employers, to develop a two-way hybrid recommendation system to support both employers and job seekers. The system will learn relevant content and rank candidates based on the job description. This will result in stronger candidate recommendations for employers while also promoting appropriate job opportunities to candidates.

It will also ensure increased accuracy and explainable recommendations—an innovation that will provide Reachout with a competitive advantage.

The students involved in this research will be integrated into Reachout’s technical team, with direct supervision provided by Thomas Liu, it’s CEO, and will benefit from the ability to leverage the skills and knowledge they’ve acquired in the classroom and apply them to solve businesses challenges in a real-world setting.

“Mitacs is delighted to support these exciting projects at Durham College. By enabling the creation of valuable academic-industry partnerships that provide students with meaningful, paid, experiential-learning opportunities, Mitacs is proud to contribute to innovation in Ontario. These internships are helping partner organizations access Durham’s rich expertise in AI and systems optimization, while contributing to the career development of college students,” said, John Hepburn, CEO and Scientific Director at Mitacs.

From simulation labs and skilled trades shops, to culinary kitchens, media studios and more, the state-of-the-art facilities and learning spaces at Durham College (DC) facilitate hands-on learning that enables students to develop career-ready skills for an ever-changing job market.

As prospective students begin to make their decisions about their post-secondary programs for the next academic year, DC has made exploring its campuses easier and safer for applicants by leveraging leading-edge technology to develop a new immersive virtual tour.

With 56 spaces to visit at the Oshawa and Whitby campus, prospective students, parents, and the public can experience what it’s like to be on campus and learn more about the innovative facilities available to students at DC.

At the Oshawa campus, users have access to behind-the-scenes at the massage room in the Durham College Spa, Global Classroom and Nursing Lab and can explore the industrial-grade equipment available in the flexible, fully automated Integrated Manufacturing Centre. While at the Whitby campus, those interested in hospitality and horticulture, skilled trades and more can learn more about the innovative service areas, labs, shops and training facilities that will help them develop career-ready skills through transformative education.

Take a virtual trip to DC and visit our campuses or learn more about the programs and services available at DC by attending our Virtual Open House on Saturday, March 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

FastStartDC is home to student entrepreneurship at Durham College (DC). Since early 2020, the team has been working one-on-one virtually with students to support them in launching their own small business. Using the free, online FS360 Course, students are able to embrace the tools and landscape of e-commerce and prepare to be virtual champions in response to COVID-19’s devastating impact on small businesses around the world. 

“Helping my peers develop a brand and business has been incredibly rewarding as a graphic design student,” says Alex Colella, who is studying in DC’s School of Media, Art and Design (MAD) and work-studies as FastStartDC’s graphic design specialist. “Like myself, they’re facing a post-graduation world that has truly changed. Through our FastStartDC experience, we’re helping each other prepare for that.” 

FastStartDC’s team of dedicated employees and work-study students celebrate the success of the program’s aspiring entrepreneurs. This year, with so many hardworking students to celebrate, they chose to share one story in particular, of a student who exemplifies true resilience, passion and ambition. Erin Malcolm, a second-year Business – Entrepreneurship and Small Business student, is working with FastStartDC to launch Methodically Yours, a multi-level wellness coaching business born from her personal history of suffering in the grips of trauma and addiction. She credits the help of reiki, formal therapy, yoga and irreplaceable mentorships and friendships for her inspiration to create the Whole-Hearted coaching program.   

FastStartDC has supported Erin during the last year with bi-weekly, virtual business mentorship meetings and weekly remote creative service support, including graphic design, videography and photography.

“My mission is to forge a path for those who suffer, helping them reconnect with themselves and those who love them,” says Erin. “My vision would be nowhere near reality if not for the guidance, support and encouragement from the FastStart program team. The resources, mentorship and time dedicated to this project has been crucial to my success.”

Lindsey Irwin-Jeremiah, manager, Entrepreneurship Services, knows the FastStartDC community thrives on challenge. The results of the pandemic have proven the need to act quickly to keep students motivated and encourage them to work remotely with the same passion and drive they would feel on campus.

“With awareness and sensitivity around student mental health, we have fostered a world of coaching and mentorship where we prize resilience and confidence and actively promote the development of durable skills as part of the 2021 toolkit for student entrepreneurs,” said Lindsey.

With today’s employment landscape, there’s never been a better time to embrace resilience, channel creativity and explore self-employment. FastStartDC is available to all current DC students. From tech and artwork to beauty products and software, the FS360 program teaches students how to create their own summer jobs, generate revenue and bring their business ideas to life.

For more information about FastStartDC, to access the FS360 program or to sign up for support, please email FastStartDC@durhamcollege.ca.