Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce the fundraising campaign for the Whitby Campus skilled trades and professions expansion has received a significant donation of $100,000 from the Carpenters Union Local 397.

The generous donation will go toward the Building for Skills campaign, which has raised $4.4 million to date, supporting a 60,000 square foot addition to DC’s Whitby campus.  When completed, the expansion will allow 750 more students to study skilled trades and professions each year.

“The Carpenters Union is supporting this expansion because we understand the need to train more young people in the trades,” noted Joel Neville, Local Union Coordinator. “The new facility will provide more room and resources not only to our carpenter apprentices but for the apprentices of many other trades accessing this great new facility.”

In recognition of the Carpenters Union Local 397’s gift, a multi-purpose classroom will carry the name of the union that represents women and men in Durham Region and Northumberland County who work in a variety of construction related skilled trades, including carpentry, drywall and resilient flooring.

Construction continues at DC’s Whitby campus with plans to open in fall 2021.

“We are extremely grateful for the support of organized labour. This generous donation from the Carpenters Union Local 397 demonstrates a dedication to the training of future skilled trades professionals and support for DC’s state-of-the-art facility that will have a positive impact on the workforce of Ontario. This gift will help Durham College continue to develop skilled workers who contribute to a strong economy and vibrant communities,” said DC President Don Lovisa.