Town of Whitby to provide $1 million in funding

Oshawa, Ont. – Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce the process to secure funding in support of an expansion of its Whitby campus, has begun.

Currently home to more than 2,100 post-secondary students, 1,300 skilled-trade apprentices (which includes 150 high school level Ontario Youth Apprentices), and 1,000’s of other part-time students and corporate clients through the college’s School of Continuing Education and Corporate Training Services, the college has seen 130 per cent increase in the student population in Whitby in the past ten years.

“The fact of the matter is the college has outgrown the current space at the Whitby campus, which is affecting its ability to meet current demand from students and employers throughout the region,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “We are extremely excited about what this expansion can mean for DC, the broader community and skilled trades in general.”

Built with a focus on high-priority industries such as elevating devices and trades including electricians, crane operators and millwrights and emerging areas such as boilermakers, the expansion will feature a new 60,000 sq. ft. centre that will double the college’s industrial skilled trades training capacity. In addition, it will position DC and Whitby as ground zero for post-secondary and apprenticeship elevating devices training in Ontario and Canada.

The college will also be able to foster new partnerships with industry on applied research projects that will advance innovation and knowledge, while creating opportunities for professional development and continuous learning for industry professionals. It will also help meet employer and apprentice demand as well as creating new job opportunities on campus.

Completion of the expansion is estimated to cost $35 million, $1 million of which is being contributed by the Town of Whitby. Donated over a five-year period, the town has once again demonstrated its support for DC through providing capital funding.

“Durham College is a great community partner and contributor to our vibrant and growing town,” said Whitby Mayor Don Mitchell. “Council was pleased to support this expansion as it will deliver more local jobs and provide the skills training needed for a prosperous future.”

More details about the expansion and subsequent capital campaign will be shared in the coming weeks and months, as the college continues to pursue other funding for the project.

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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 13,600 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 has also launched 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 the Centre for Collaborative Education, a legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017. The newly-opened facility brings 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. 

Media contact:
Shelly Kowalski
Communications and Marketing
905.721.2000 ext. 2197
shelly.kowalski@durhamcollege.ca