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. 

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About Durham College

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, the college offers more than 12,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and eight apprenticeship programs in a number of different disciplines, enabling them to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market. The college is also set to launch its first four-year degree program, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management, in September 2018.

The Oshawa campus features the state-of-the art Student Services building and will soon feature the Centre for Collaborative Education, a legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017. The new facility will bring together local, Indigenous and global communities, providing a new home for several of the college’s most innovative and ground-breaking programs.

The Whitby campus features the award-winning W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs.

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.