January 28, 2009

College has plans to expand facilities, add more spaces

OSHAWA, ON. – Durham College is welcoming yesterday’s budget and looks forward to partnering with the federal government on many of the new funding initiatives and programs designed to revitalize the economy.

The budget includes a number of measures that will make an impact on colleges, including a commitment of $12 billion for new infrastructure and $2 billion for deferred maintenance and repairs at colleges and universities. In budget documents and at a post-budget speech given by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty in Whitby today, the college’s environmentally progressive expansion plans for its Whitby campus were used as an example of the type of project that will be targeted by the new funding. The college is also encouraged by the budget’s allotment of new funds to bolster the skilled trades given its long history in apprenticeship training.

“Durham College is particularly pleased to see the budget recognizes the important role that colleges have to play in helping our economy recover quickly and ensuring displaced and laid-off workers can find a path toward meaningful and long-term careers,” said Don Lovisa, president of Durham College. “These dollars are an investment in communities such as Durham Region, which has been particularly impacted by the challenges of the automotive sector. We believe Durham College is ideally positioned to work with the government on these new initiatives and provide new opportunities for so many of our neighbours who find themselves out of work through no fault of their own.”

Durham College is currently moving ahead with Phase 1 of its forward-thinking expansion plan that will see the Whitby campus become a living laboratory for new energy technologies and education designed to serve the growing needs of the energy sector while providing new opportunities for skilled trades training, an area vitally important to Canada’s ability to grow and prosper in the years ahead. The expansion plans call for 20,000 square feet of new space in Phase 1 and 40,000 sq. ft. in all; a suite of new programs focused on new-energy careers; a retrofit of the campus itself to become energy efficient and energy producing; an innovation incubator for new energy; and access to faculty expertise and campus equipment to help alternative power inventors and innovators bring their ideas from concept to prototype.

“We are very excited about the announcement of new funds for infrastructure projects and look forward to learning more details moving forward,” said Lovisa. “We believe our expansion is the type of project that the federal government is counting on to help Canada regain its economic footing. It will create hundreds of new spaces for men and women to pursue retraining and post-secondary and apprenticeship programs. It will also serve as a beacon for environmental stewardship in Durham Region and across the country.”

In addition to the infrastructure funding, the maintenance and repair dollars outlined in the budget are also encouraging to Durham College as it has a number of older buildings on campus in need of renewal.

The budget comes on the heels of a pre-budget presentation made to MPs in Ottawa, Ontario last week. The presentation, given by Durham College and three other colleges located in automotive manufacturing communities that have been particularly hard hit by layoffs and plant closures, sent the message that an investment in college infrastructure projects and retraining opportunities could play a significant role in helping laid-off workers transition to new careers in several growing areas of the economy.

Other college-related budget highlights include:

• An increase of $1 billion over two years in funding for training delivered through the Employment Insurance program;
• An investment of $500 million over two years in a Strategic Training and Transition Fund to support the particular needs of individuals who do not qualify for EI training, such as the self-employed or those who have been out of work for a prolonged period of time;
• $40 million a year to launch the $2,000 Apprenticeship Completion Grant, which will directly support the need for more skilled tradespeople; and
• Support for older workers and their families through an additional $60 million over three years for the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers, along with an expansion to workers in small cities.

-30-

About Durham College
Durham College is the premier college in Canada for career-focused students who will succeed in a challenging, supporting and inclusive learning environment. Offering approximately 100 full-time market-driven programs and hundreds of part-time and continuing education courses, the college has provided students with access to exceptional teachers with real-world experience for 40 years. With a graduate employment rate of over 90 per cent and employer satisfaction rate of 95.6 per cent, Durham College gives students everything they need to obtain great careers and make a difference in the world. The college has more than 6,300 full-time students, thousands of part-time students and almost 1,600 apprentices. For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

Media contact:
Tony Doyle
Communications and Marketing
Durham College
905.721.2000 ext. 2209
tony.doyle@durhamcollege.ca

 

Disclaimer: The contact information provided in archived news releases was current at the release date. For current information please contact Communications, Marketing and External Relations.