Durham College receives $30 million in total funding from federal and provincial governments

May 29, 2009

College welcomes significant investment in post-secondary infrastructure; financial support will enhance student services, further construction at Whitby campus

OSHAWA, ON. - Durham College announced today a $30-million investment by the federal and provincial governments to support the construction of a new 35,000-square-foot building dedicated to improved student services at its Oshawa campus and launch Phase 2 of its 40,000-square-foot Whitby campus expansion.

The college is receiving $10 million from each government to support the construction of a new student services building as well as $7 million from the federal government and $3 million from the provincial government toward the launch of Phase 2 of the expansion and renovation currently taking place at its Whitby campus. Construction on both projects will begin in the coming months and be completed by March 2011.

"Durham College is 100-per cent committed to its mission statement - the student experience comes first - and this significant funding commitment from the federal and provincial governments will enable us to provide our future students with a state-of-the art student services building designed to give them the most robust learning experience possible," said Don Lovisa, president of Durham College. "In addition, it will enable us to kick-start Phase 2 of our Whitby campus expansion, which will provide our students with increased access to training opportunities through the creation of new space and facilities."

The new student services facility will provide one-stop accessible services for the college's full-time, part-time and continuing education students, including ground-level space to support the expanding population of students with disabilities. It will serve as a vital first point of access for potential applicants, current students and graduates, establishing a familiar resource over the lifetime of their relationship with the college.

By relocating all student services to one area, the college will then be able to renovate and modernize existing space, improving the quality of learning for students through the creation of new teaching spaces that can accommodate larger classes and new student study areas.

Phase 2 of the Whitby campus expansion includes increasing the Skills Training Centre by 20,000 square feet and refreshing industrial equipment to ensure the college meets the identified need to provide young people, employed workers and individuals experiencing career changes with the skills required to meet the demands of the booming energy sector.

Phase 1of the expansion is already well underway and when finished will include living laboratories for student learning; new campus equipment to help energy inventors and innovators bring their ideas from concept to prototype; and new programs that will enable Durham College to meet the new and growing energy industry demand for skilled Ontarians who are able to plan, install and maintain the current and next generation of green energy systems and technologies.

"On behalf of everyone at Durham College, I would like to extend my warmest thanks to our federal and provincial government partners for their substantial financial support and commitment to our vision for new opportunities for students in areas that are critical to the recovery of our local, provincial and national economies," added Lovisa. "At Durham College, we want to ensure our students gain the best possible education and skills during their time with us. Thanks to this support, we will be able to provide expanded student space and educational resources at both our Oshawa and Whitby campuses that will assist our students in their post-secondary efforts while fostering lifelong learning."

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About Durham College
At Durham College, the student experience comes first, an approach it has taken for more than 40 years. Through a vast range of market-driven programs that are taught by exceptional professors with real-world experience, students develop the skills required to meet the ever-changing needs of employers and the job market. Moving forward, Durham College's expansion plans 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. The expansion 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. Durham College has more than 6,300 full-time students, thousands of part-time students and more than 1,400 apprentices. For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

Media contact:
Allison Rosnak
Communications and Marketing
Durham College
905.721.2000 ext. 2333
allison.rosnak@durhamcollege.ca

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