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DC student wins silver at 2018 Skills Canada National Competition

Oshawa, Ont. – Durham College (DC) is proud to announce that second-year student Keeshan Sharma from the Automotive Technician – Service and Management (Motive Power Technician) program, has won the silver medal in the automobile technology category at the 24th annual Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) in Edmonton, Alta. from June 4 to 5.

Sharma advanced to the national competition following his gold-medal performance at the Skills Ontario Competition in May. He represented DC and Ontario while competing against top students from across Canada. In the automobile technology category, competitors faced practical assignments and real-life auto-repair situations related to correctly inspecting, repairing and adjusting engines, electrical function, and vehicle performance, among other skills.

“DC is very proud of Keeshan and all of our students who excelled in this year’s provincial and national skills competitions,” said Dr. Rebecca Milburn, associate vice-president, Academic, DC. “Their performance is further proof that when dedicated, hard-working students meet career-driven, hands-on learning programs, like those offered at DC, the result is a success.”

Organized by Skills/Compétences Canada, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting skilled trades and technologies among Canadian youth, SCNC is Canada’s only national, multi-trade and technology competition for students and apprentices in the country.

Each year, more than 500 young people from all regions of Canada advance through local, regional and provincial/territorial events to reach SCNC and participate in more than 40 skilled trade and technology competitions.

By providing a forum where Canadian youth can compete at the national level, SCNC provides hands-on work experience related to skilled trade and technology careers. The initiative also helps to raise awareness about skilled trade and technology sectors to Canadian youth and their influencers. 

Ontario’s next government needs to address colleges’ $100-million shortfall

Ontario’s colleges face a province-wide funding shortfall of more than $100 million a year that the province’s next government needs to address.

“College education gives students a competitive edge in this knowledge-driven economy,” said Don Lovisa, President, Durham College. “It’s essential that we continue to deliver high-quality programs that produce job-ready graduates who are prepared with the skills and knowledge to succeed.”

A number of factors are affecting Ontario’s colleges, from declining enrolment to cost increases related to the rate of inflation. Meanwhile, per-student provincial funding has fallen every year since 2007-2008.

Ontario’s colleges currently receive the lowest per-student funding in Canada. The per-student revenue for colleges is lower than the amounts provided to Ontario universities and high schools.

Currently, colleges need an additional $100 million per year to maintain programs and services for students.

While some of the cost pressures were offset this year by an increase in international students, the increasing dependence on international student revenues to balance College budgets is not sustainable and therefore the long-term challenge remains.

As accelerating automation and innovations revolutionize the workplace, Ontario needs to invest in college education. More students need to acquire the specialized qualifications and expertise that lead to rewarding careers.

Colleges are calling for candidates in the provincial election to commit to investing in student success. Some of the options for addressing the colleges’ funding shortfall include:

  • Enhancing the annual operating funding provided to colleges.
  • Creating a tuition-fee framework for colleges that is distinct from the tuition framework for universities.
  • Developing a targeted funding increase to expand science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) programs by 30 percent over the next four years.

“Chronic underfunding is putting the long-term sustainability of college education in Ontario at risk,” said Lovisa. “Our next government needs to ensure we have the resources to provide students with the knowledge and expertise that lead to meaningful and rewarding careers.

The Cypher: Black Male Empowerment Conference encourages students to unleash their potential

On May 24, Durham College (DC) hosted The Cypher: Black Male Empowerment Conference for the second year in a row. More than 300 students from grades 8 to 10 learned about empowerment, mental health and eliminating barriers to success while also experiencing the college learning environment.

An initiative of the Durham District School Board (DDSB), The Cypher aims to provide students from the region an opportunity to learn about future academic pathways, employment opportunities, and positive transitions.

 DC president Don Lovisa, DDSB trustee Patrice Barnes and DDSB director Lisa Millar each addressed the room before guest speaker Ian Brown took the mic and used comedy and storytelling to encourage the audience of young people to unleash their potential, look to the future and become empowered by education and inspiration from their cultures, families, teachers, and communities.

The event’s agenda also included workshops about planning for the future and developing new skills, as well as a number of activities, networking opportunities and discussions with teachers, community leaders and mentors about the right supports to have a bright and healthy future.

DC Raises Cyber-Security Awareness at Cyber Day for Girls

On May 22, Durham College (DC) hosted the IBM Cyber Day for Girls, to create cyber-security awareness for girls in grades 7 and 8, while igniting their curiosity to learn about exciting opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math).

Throughout a full day of games and activities, the attendees learned about protecting their on-line identities, securing the Internet of Things, creating strong passwords and avoiding phishing attacks.

 According to The 2017 Global Information Security Workforce Study: Women in Cyber Security, women are globally underrepresented in the cyber-security profession at 11 per cent. Thus, the workshop also encouraged the girls to develop skills in STEM-related disciplines and explore exciting opportunities in the field.

 The attendees had the opportunity to talk with female IBM designers and engineers to learn what it’s like to work in the tech industry. They also met with alumni, faculty and students from DC’s School of Business, IT & Management to explore how studying in STEM programs such as Computer Programmer or Information Systems Security – Computers and Networking will give them the tools to shape their future.

 Since 2016, IBM Cyber Day for Girls events have been hosted in the U.S., Canada, Australia, South Africa, and Nigeria, to promote cyber-security education.

DC Earns Gold-Level Smart Commute Designation

Durham College (DC) is proud to receive the Smart Commute Gold Workplace designation in recognition of the college’s continuous commitment to promoting and supporting sustainable travel options for students and employees.

To achieve gold, organizations must demonstrate innovation, a higher effort and significant resources dedicated to reducing the number of people who drive alone and instead actively choose a better transit option such as walking, biking, transit, carpooling or telework.

DC was recognized as an outstanding workplace for initiatives such as having electric vehicle charging stations on campus, parking spots for carpool vehicles with cost-sharing incentives, end-of-trip bike facilities and the Universal Transit Pass that gives full-time students unlimited use of Durham Region Transit. Additional merits include flexible hours and telework services.

Prior to achieving gold, DC received the silver-level designation in 2016 in recognition of its ongoing effort to promote sustainable travel options for getting to and from campus.

Smart Commute is a transportation program of Metrolinx, with the support of local municipalities, which aims to reduce traffic congestion in order to improve air quality, provide more sustainable travel options and reduce commuting costs.

DC helps take science out of the lab and into the community with Science Rendezvous

On May 12, Durham College (DC) put the spotlight on science for curious minds of all ages at the annual Science Rendezvous event. While co-hosting with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, DC welcomed hundreds of families to the shared Oshawa campus for a full day of science fun that showcased the extensive scientific expertise and volunteer energies of faculty, staff and students.

Kids rolled up their sleeves for all kinds of hands-on experiments, games, mini-workshops, challenges and demonstrations. They also had the opportunity to meet face-to-face with real scientists and ask them questions about their research work.

This year, many participants checked out the Family Escape Room, a half-hour of fun science challenges where kids worked to solve an intriguing science scenario and become a ‘Science Superhero’.

With events hosted simultaneously across the country by universities and colleges in 30 cities, Science Rendezvous aims to inspire young people to start thinking about how science, engineering, technology, arts and math can be part of their educational journey. Whether it’s looking into a microscope, checking out fossils or learning about forensics, the event offers unique opportunities for kids to visit a post-secondary campus at a young age and get a behind-the-scenes look at the leading edge of science.

DC celebrates new TeachingCity Hub in Oshawa’s downtown core

Durham College (DC) along with The City of Oshawa and education and research partners – Canadian Urban Institute, Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – celebrated the first year of TeachingCity on May 14 with the opening of the TeachingCity Hub.

The TeachingCity Hub, located in downtown Oshawa at 1 Mary Street, is a dedicated space to facilitate TeachingCity projects with DC and the City’s education and research partners, including students and employees.

The Hub provides opportunities for TeachingCity partners to share access to facilities, resources and equipment, and includes office, classroom and open lab space. The open-concept area will be used for TeachingCity partnership meetings, collaborative learning opportunities and co-design.

“The opening of the TeachingCity Hub, signifies the evolution of our partnership in this ground-breaking initiative,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “By providing a physical space for learning and exploration, we will be able to continue helping the City of Oshawa address urban challenges and issues while also creating even more opportunities for our students to engage in applied research and innovative experiential-learning activities.”

During the Hub opening, Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area officially joined TeachingCity through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding.

TeachingCity brings together academic institutions, municipal government and City partners. The partners focus on and address urban issues facing Oshawa through innovation, collaboration, applied research and shared experiential learning opportunities.

The partnership facilitates:

  • developing practical, scalable and sustainable solutions to urban issues;
  • building research partnerships;
  • coordinating experiential learning opportunities, applied research and innovative educational activities;
  • developing new technologies;
  • sharing access to facilities, resources and equipment; and,
  • working toward the long-term positioning of Oshawa as a locally and globally recognized community of urban research and learning.

For more information on the TeachingCity Initiative, click here.

DC students win gold, silver and bronze medals at Skills Ontario Competition

Durham College (DC) is proud to announce that seven DC students earned six medals – two gold, two silver and two bronze – in post-secondary categories at the 29th annual Skills Ontario Competition, Canada’s largest skilled trades and technology competition, which took place in Toronto from May 7 to 9.

Students Zachary Unger, Building Construction Technician, and Keeshan Sharma, Automotive Technician – Service and Management (Motive Power Technician), owned the podium, winning gold medals in the carpentry and auto service technology categories, respectively.

Judges evaluated Unger on his carpentry skills for residential construction, requiring him to interpret drawings and assemble framing systems such as floors, walls and roofs. For his part, Sharma tackled real-life auto-repair situations related to engines, electrical function and vehicle performance, among other skills. Unger and Sharma’s wins means they will be representing DC and Ontario against the best and brightest in their categories in Canada, when they participate in the Skills Canada National Competition 2018 held in Edmonton, Alberta, on Monday, June 4 and Tuesday, June 5. 

Emilie Smith, a student in DC’s Advanced Baking and Pastry Arts program, took a silver medal in the baking category. Smith earned tops marks for her proficiency in baking cakes and pastries using her own recipes. In addition, Liam Duffy, who is enrolled in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program and studies at DC under the School-College-Work initiative, picked up a silver medal in the culinary art category after demonstrating his skills in cooking and displaying hot and cold dishes.

In the horticulture and landscape category, Tianna Ghersini and Andrew Campbell won bronze as a team. The Horticulture Technician students showcased their skills by building a garden, which components may include plant selection and placement of landscape rocks. Apprenticeship Plumbing student Tanner Woodhead also earned bronze in the plumbing category, which assessed knowledge of the plumbing system, including gas and water pressure, and quality of work.

“Congratulations to all of the Durham College students who earned incredible success at the annual Skills Ontario competition,” said Dr. Rebecca Milburn, associate vice-president, Academic at DC. “Their accomplishments are a direct reflection of quality programs, the support of mentorship of their professors and the hard work and commitment they have demonstrated throughout their studies.”

The DC students competed against peers from across the province in contests that included theoretical and practical components, as well as a job interview related to their technical career paths.

The competition is presented annually by Skills Ontario, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting skilled trades and technologies to Ontario youth.

Overall, 18 DC students competed in various categories including auto service technology, baking, culinary arts, coding, IT network system administration and plumbing.

Political parties urged to enrich Ontario by strengthening college education

New measures to enhance career-specific degree programs at colleges, strengthen mental health supports for students and transform apprenticeship training are among the priorities for Ontario’s colleges in the upcoming provincial election.

“Students in Durham Region and across Ontario deserve the best college education they can get,” said Don Lovisa, president Durham College (DC). “We know that by calling for, and actioning these new measures, we will find more opportunities to help our students be successful and ensure they continue to find meaningful work upon graduation.”

The 24 colleges officially launched their election platform today. The platform, Enriching Ontario, highlights four priority areas that will ensure greater numbers of students acquire the professional and technical expertise that leads to successful careers.

DC strongly supports the priority areas identified in the platform. The colleges are calling for the provincial parties to enrich the opportunities for students by committing to the following:

  • Revitalize college programs. Provide colleges with the ability to quickly design and implement leading-edge programs, including the expansion of career-specific degree programs.
    • With the launch of the new Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management degree and six additional new programs in September 2018, DC continues to focus on meeting the evolving needs of employers and industry professionals.
  • Strengthen mental health services. Commit to a whole-of-community approach to mental health that strengthens the supports and services available to post-secondary students.
    • DC currently provides an assortment of support services for students including: Aboriginal Student Centre; Access & Support Centre; Coaching; Outreach Services; Student Academic Learning Services; and the Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion & Transitions.  
    • The community-of-whole approach will strengthen the services already provided by the college to ensure that all students who need support receive the support they require to be successful.
  • Produce more apprentices. Create a simplified, one-window application process to apprenticeship programs by expanding the college system’s provincial application service.
    • On March 5 Women in Skilled Trades Durham College (WISTDC) hosted a networking event for female students studying in the School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship and Renewable Technology. WISTDC is dedicated to creating opportunities for female students in DC’s skilled trades programs to connect and network with other women working in skilled trades.
    • There are growing career opportunities for skilled trades and we need a different approach to ensure students and employers needs are met.
  • Invest in student success. Commit to the long-term sustainability of college education and fund the expansion of science, technology, engineering, arts and math programs by 30 per cent over four years.
    • DC recently celebrated student success through the annual Celebrate STEAM exhibition that took place on April 18 where students displayed more than 25 applied research projects, including projects in artificial intelligence, exploring student achievements in STEAM. Participating students gained real-world professional experience by solving industry and social challenges through applied research, innovation and collaboration to address the needs of a technology-driven knowledge economy.  Colleges have the capacity to contribute much more to science, technology and trades and only require the supports to expand. 

More than 240,000 full-time students and about 300,000 part-time students are enrolled in the 900 programs at Ontario’s colleges, in programs ranging from business, paramedicine, advertising, engineering, aviation, machining and animation to game development, biotechnology and 3D manufacturing.

Colleges serve a diverse range of students, including university and college graduates in post-graduate programs. The number of university graduates enrolled in colleges has increased by about 40 per cent over the past five years and more than 83 per cent of college graduates find employment within six months of graduation. 

“College education ensures people entering the workforce are job-ready. Our graduates have the skills and qualifications they need to be successful,” said Lovisa. “This election provides a tremendous opportunity to ensure college education remains at the forefront of new innovations and a rapidly evolving economy.”

DC contributing to the development of transformative automotive technologies

As part of its ongoing efforts to develop multi-community partnerships that support the local and provincial economy through applied research, Durham College (DC) has been named as a partner in the Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN) project in this week’s announcement from Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE).

The college will be a collaborator in the Regional Technology Development Site (RTDS) located in Durham Region. With six sites established as part of the project, DC will contribute by helping to support and enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop, prototype, test and validate new technologies, access specialized equipment, and obtain technical and business advice in developing transformative automotive technologies. DC’s role will be to focus on the human machine interface (HMI) and user experience by providing technology companies access to faculty expertise, student talent and state-of-the-art research facilities, thus helping them develop autonomous vehicle capabilities in a safe and controlled environment.

In partnership with the province, OCE is administering an investment of up to $5 million over five years to Durham Region’s RTDS. 

“We are thrilled about this opportunity to continue our engagement with industry and community organizations in a new and exciting way,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, DC. “We look forward to using that expertise to support the goals of the Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network.”

The college’s ongoing experience in machine learning, augmented and virtual reality, means it is well equipped to assist in the development of in-car services unique to autonomous vehicles. This could range from developing multimodal data displays containing details about how the car is performing and reminding owners about maintenance schedules, to providing immediate, real-time information about the objects, buildings, signs and traffic patterns along the route.

This multi-community partnership builds on the well-established relationship DC already has with OCE. As one of the college’s primary funders for applied research, OCE is a trusted partner of government in program delivery. The organization has worked with DC to support projects including IFTech Inventing Future Technology Inc. and multiple initiatives focusing on research into how “narrow AI” can help the productivity and growth of SMEs.

Funded by the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science, the Ministry of Economic Development and Growth and the Ministry of Transportation, AVIN brings together industry, academia and government to capitalize on the economic opportunities of connected and autonomous vehicles, while supporting the province’s transportation systems and infrastructure in adapting to these emerging technologies. DC is looking forward to working with Spark Centre (part of the Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs), the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), UOIT’s Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) and the Region of Durham.