Building on its previous participation in Durham College (DC) initiatives to increase diversity in the skilled trades workforce, Black & McDonald Limited is now helping expand the skilled trades facilities at DC’s Whitby campus. Acutely aware of the shortage of skilled trades talent, this integrated, multi-trade Canadian service provider operating across North America has committed $100,000 to help fund DC’s new Ontario Power Generation Centre for Skilled Trades and Technology (CSTT). The addition of 60,000+ square feet of shops, labs, classrooms and student amenities and the re-purposing and renovation of pre-existing space will support an additional 750 construction and industrial skilled trades students and apprentices.

“We hire from just about all of the skilled trades represented at Durham College, and, especially with the bulge of retirement-age skilled tradespeople in the workforce now and the major infrastructure projects underway in the eastern GTA, we are really feeling the staffing pinch,” says Mark Healy, regional vice-president, Black & McDonald. “We know that increasing the diversity of the workforce has great merit and benefit beyond the obvious increase in available tradespeople, and see that DC is taking steps in this direction too, as they work to increase enrolment. We’re delighted to support this expansion and revitalization project.”

“We’re incredibly proud and appreciative to have Black & McDonald as a partner in our expansion plans and our outreach to demographic groups under-represented in the construction and industrial skilled trades,” says Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “Expansion and diversity are necessary to both meet the need of our applicants – who greatly outnumber the seats we have in our programs – and employers who are increasingly challenged to find the talent they need for their business success.”

DC is raising $10 million from the community in support of the CSTT. To learn more about the Whitby Campus expansion and revitalization initiative and the Building for Skills campaign and how you can participate, please contact jennifer.clark@durhamcollege.ca.