From left, Ajax-Pickering MPP Joe Dickson, Durham College President Don Lovisa, Sarah Eibich, a Mechanical Technician – Tool and Die/CNC student, Minister George Smitherman, Shawn Jones, a Mechanical Technician – Mechanical Maintenance and Control student and Pat Perkins, mayor of the Town of Whitby.

OSHAWA, ON. – The Honourable George Smitherman, Ontario’s deputy premier and minister of Energy and Infrastructure, had a first-hand look at Durham College’s state-of-the-art facilities earlier today when he joined President Don Lovisa and other members of the leadership team for a personal tour of the college’s Whitby campus.

The tour exposed the minister to the more than 200,000-square-feet of classroom and shop floor space – including the nationally acclaimed Skills Training Centre – offered by the Whitby campus, which is located adjacent to Highway 401. It also offered a look at the valuable hands-on training and equipment Durham College students have access to, a combination that ensures graduates have the necessary skills and confidence to succeed in rewarding and challenging careers and make a difference in the world.

“We were thrilled to have Minister Smitherman join us today,” said Lovisa. “His visit presented us with a wonderful opportunity to showcase why Durham College is truly a national leader in skilled trades training. From our existing full-time and apprenticeship programs to our Whitby campus expansion plans, to our two new energy programs and our commitment to meeting market-driven demands here in Durham Region and across the province, we continue to build our reputation for education and training that provides our graduates with the skills they need to be employed in these rapidly changing economic times.”

In addition to the tour, Lovisa shared background information on the college’s unique approach to skilled trades training and its 17 apprenticeship programs, including some unique to colleges in Ontario such as Elevating Devices Mechanic and Hoisting Engineer: Mobile Crane Operator. Durham College currently has approximately 1,600 apprentices and 120 Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program students.

“The proposed Green Energy Act well positions Ontario to fight climate change while creating a new generation of green jobs,” said Smitherman, deputy premier and minister of Energy and Infrastructure. “Post-secondary institutions, like Durham College, are building the skilled workforce needed for the jobs of tomorrow.”

Following a commitment of $9 million in funding by the provincial government, the college is currently moving ahead with expansion plans that will see its Whitby campus grow by 40,000 square feet including the construction of an energy-neutral living laboratory for new technologies and education that will serve the growing needs of the emerging energy sector. It will also provide new opportunities for skilled trades training, an area vitally important to Ontario’s ability to grow and prosper in the years ahead.

Additional elements of the expansion plans call for an incubation centre that will provide access to faculty expertise and campus equipment to help alternative power inventors and innovators bring their ideas from concept to prototype and the launch of two new energy programs – Energy Audit Techniques and Renewable Energy Technician – for the 2009-2010 academic year. Both programs will support the training of students related to the construction, maintenance and auditing of energy equipment such as solar, wind and other renewable technologies – enabling them to graduate as qualified technicians who can meet the projected rapid increase in jobs related to the green energy industry.

“Durham College is committed to following its more than 40-year legacy for setting the bar high by establishing us as a true environmental leader,” said Lovisa. “The expansion will be both energy neutral and able to meet current Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards – a visible testament to everything green that millions of individuals will pass as each day as they drive along the 401.”

-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 more than 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:
Michelle Roebuck
Communications and Marketing
Durham College
905.721.2000 ext. 2197
michelle.roebuck@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.