Durham College at the heart of Oshawa’s success

And the best place in Canada to find a job is…Oshawa!

That’s the latest news from the Bank of Montreal, which ranked Canada’s major cities for its annual Regional Labour Market Report Card and placed Oshawa at the top of the list in terms of job creation; a jump of 27 spots compared to its 2015 ranking. Although historically known as an automotive city, Oshawa has blossomed into an education and health science hub in recent years, with Durham College (DC) making a significant contribution to the city’s improved economic climate.

DC is proud to be a part of the Oshawa community and to be playing a major role in the city’s continued growth and development. As home to the college’s largest campus and with more than 1,700 full- and part-time employees, Durham College is one of the largest employers in Oshawa and Durham Region.

At the same time, DC brings much more than just direct economic benefits to the communities where it operates. The college serves as focal point for new ideas, entrepreneurship and skills training. As a result, Oshawa and its neighbouring communities get the benefits of DC’s job-ready graduates, trained by industry leaders to take on the challenges of today’s new economy.

Economic activity in Oshawa and the surrounding area continues to grow. The upcoming refurbishment of the Darlington nuclear reactor, the expansion of highway 407 and the growing numbers of small and medium-sized businesses taking advantage of lower operating costs all provide opportunities for DC’s graduates to settle in Oshawa once their education is complete.

As well, DC will be making its own contribution to Oshawa’s growth in the coming months with the construction of the new Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE), which will replace the Simcoe building on the college’s Oshawa campus. With funding from the Government of Ontario and private sources, the new centre will feature state-of-the-art classrooms and learning environments, while housing DC’s Aboriginal Student Centre and the Entrepreneurship Centre, including the Spark Centre.

As it prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2017, Durham College looks back with pride at its contributions to the communities it serves and looks forward confidently to a prosperous future for Oshawa and Durham Region.