On June 19, more than 450 Durham College (DC) employees took time to invest in themselves by joining their colleagues for a day of thoughtful discussion, growth and knowledge sharing at the college’s Professional Development (PD) Day 2019.

Indigenous student advisors Julie Pigeon and Peggy Forbes led attendees in a smudging ceremony to start the day in a good way before CFL legend and community builder Michael “Pinball” Clemons delivered the program’s keynote address.

The former coach and player for the Toronto Argonauts football team captivated the room with an empowering presentation in which he talked about personal perseverance and the importance of teamwork.

Attendees then broke out into smaller groups to attend three concurrent sessions over the course of the afternoon. This year’s event offered employees a choice from 25 presentations delivered by their colleagues on a variety of timely subjects from meditation and esports to creative problem solving, time management and more.

PD Day is an annual event, organized by the college’s Human Resources department, which enhances employee engagement using thought-provoking presentations and opportunities to reconnect with colleagues and recharge through exposure to new ideas and skills.

With more than 800 full-time employees and approximately 1,000 part-time employees, DC is one of the region’s largest employers and provides more than $900 million to Durham Region in positive economic impact annually. Events like PD Day are one of the many initiatives that help make DC one of the GTA’s Top Employers.