Advanced Diploma in Electromechanical Engineering Technology (Co-op)

at Durham College - Whitby Campus Canada

The Civil Engineering Technician program is the perfect vehicle to launch a rewarding entry-level career in the civil engineering field. You will develop skills in computer assisted design and drafting (CAD), geographic information system (GIS), electronic surveying and testing construction materials. Project management and safe working principles in construction sites, in accordance with various Canadian civil engineering codes, quality control standards and regulations will also be taught. A field placement or co-operative education (co-op) work term will provide two options to gain experience in the workforce. Students can also access membership to the Toronto Construction Association.

Civil Engineering influences almost every aspect of modern human life. Much of the physical infrastructure of modern society is provided through Civil Engineering. Students in the Civil Engineering Technician diploma program will learn how to construct, maintain and recycle the structures in communities such as dams, bridges, roads, buildings, pipelines, railways and tunnels. Students will learn how to collect, process and interpret technical information to produce written and graphical project-related documentation. Program graduates assist in scheduling, cost estimation, quality control and monitoring of civil engineering projects.

Civil engineering is also responsible for the design, construction and maintenance of critical infrastructure elements which keep communities functioning, such as transport systems, wastewater treatment, gas, water and electricity supplies. Graduates of the Civil Engineering Technician program carry out technical functions related to a broad range of civil engineering fields including structural, municipal, highway and transportation engineering, water resources, geotechnical engineering, environmental protection and infrastructure rehabilitation.

Co-operative education (co-op):

The best way to succeed in your field is to immerse yourself in it! Co-op is an excellent way to build your professional network, explore career paths and apply in-class teachings to real work situations. Co-op is a model of education that integrates academic learning with workplace learning in fields relevant to our students’ academic and personal goals. Similar to an academic course, work terms are a mandatory component to this form of experiential learning.

Students in the Civil Engineering Technician Diploma program will be invited to apply to the co-op option during their first academic semester. Entrance to the co-op option is limited and the processes for securing a work term are competitive. Students who qualify for co-op will be eligible to complete a four-month, paid work term between the second and third semesters of their program.

Supports are available through the Co-op office to assist students with securing their work terms. In addition, the Co-op office is in contact with co-op students and their employers during the work terms to help with any questions. Upon completing the work term, co-op students return to campus to complete their final two academic semesters of the program before graduating.

A career in the carpentry and renovation field blends physical hands-on work, skillful precision and creativity. Successful candidates enter a world of opportunities leading to a variety of rewarding career paths in custom home building, renovation, construction, and general contracting, including self-employment. With the construction and renovation industry steadily growing across Canada, job prospects are expected to remain strong for decades. Market researcher BuildForce Canada projects a need for 44,600 new carpenters in Canada, 12,000 in Ontario alone, over the next 10 years. 

Graduates of this program will enter the work force with a competitive edge thanks to a strong knowledge and understanding of structural renovations, sustainable construction theory and energy-wise construction techniques, as well as foundational business theories and strategies to complement their technical training. Students also have the opportunity to complete a co-operative education (co-op) or field placement, which provides invaluable real-life, hands-on work and industry experience that prepare graduates for successful careers. Graduates will meet the Ministry of Labour’s Working at Heights training requirement.

CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION (CO-OP)
The best way to succeed in your field is to immerse yourself in it! Co-op is an excellent way to build your professional network, explore career paths and apply in-class teachings to real work situations. Co-op is a model of education that integrates academic learning with workplace learning in fields relevant to our students’ academic and personal goals. Similar to an academic course, work terms are a mandatory component to this form of experiential learning.

This program is unique in Ontario: our well-equipped microbiology, chemical analysis, pharmaceutical and food processing facilities provide our students with hands-on experience in the methods and instrumentation used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, natural health product, cannabis and food science industries.  Our students learn the theory of and perform experiments mirroring industry procedures and protocols to ensure they are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to work in these high-demand industries.

During placement, students have the opportunity to gain experience at partner organizations, including food manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, analytical testing facilities and ingredient suppliers.

Graduates are employed in both the public and private sectors including:

• Bakeries, confectioners, pasta and snack food manufacturers
• Brewers, winemakers and beverage manufacturers
• Dairy, meat, seafood and canning processors
• Food additives and flavour manufacturers
• Government agencies
• Packaging, ingredient, and equipment suppliers
• Pharmaceutical, cosmetics and consumer health products manufacturers
• Research establishments and universities
• Third party testing labs

This program has broad career prospects and a graduate may become a(n)

• Analytical Chemist
• Instrumentation technologist
• Microbiologist
• Food, pharmaceutical or cosmetic manufacturing technologist
• Food product development technologist
• Food safety technologist
• Pharmaceutical technologist
• Quality assurance technologist
• Quality control technologist

Crane operators are highly trained specialists who are in equally high demand. This program is the only one of its kind offered in Ontario and is designed to help students pursuing a crane operation apprenticeship to stand out and get a head start in a competitive field. Using leading-edge training simulations, you will learn the tools of the trade, rigging and hoisting methods and essential safety measures that will help you play a key role on any construction site. Graduates will meet the Ministry of Labour’s Working at Heights training requirement.

Be part of one of the fastest-growing industry segments in the world. Hotels, resorts, restaurants, cruise ships, casinos, entertainment venues and conference centres are all benefiting from an increasing number of travelers from around the globe. Learn the essential operational skills and management techniques that employers value in this vibrant business. Explore the diverse career paths that are available to you, as you unleash your passion for customer service excellence and profitable hospitality business operations. The world of accommodation, food and beverage, travel and tourism is yours to discover.

The program focuses on the management of hotel, restaurant and tourism enterprises and is designed to provide you with a thorough foundation of the professional skills required to begin a career in these sectors. Given the hands-on nature of the hospitality industry, all courses are designed to provide you with active learning opportunities including labs for food and beverage preparation and service and front desk operations, along with numerous case studies and simulation exercises. Built on three key themes – profitable business management, exemplary customer service and an appreciation of sustainable hospitality management practices – each course will take you on an exploration of the various business aspects of the hospitality service industry, including:

• Catering
• Customer service
• Event planning
• Financial and human resource management
• Food service
• Hotel operations
• Marketing
• Restaurant operations
• Entrepreneurship

Teamwork, effective decision-making, critical thinking and leadership skills are explored in Year 1 and also emphasized throughout the second year of the program. You will also participate in a capstone course in Semester 4 designed to provide you with an opportunity to apply the skills you have acquired throughout the program as you operate a full-service hotel through a robust simulation program.

To develop a better affiliation with industry and further your skills, you will be invited to apply to the co-op option during your first semester. Qualified students will complete a four-month, paid work term in the summer between the second and third semesters of the program.  Students can also choose to complete an 80-hour field placement to gain work experience during their fourth semester.

The Hospitality - Hotel and Restaurant Operations Management program is offered at the Whitby campus, home of the college’s new W. Galen Weston Centre for Food. This incredible new learning environment provides access to state-of-the-art labs, classrooms and meeting spaces all designed to offer you the best possible learning experience.

Co-operative education (co-op):

The best way to succeed in your field is to immerse yourself in it! Co-op is an excellent way to build your professional network, explore career paths and apply in-class teachings to real work situations. Co-op is a model of education that integrates academic learning with workplace learning in fields relevant to our students’ academic and personal goals. Similar to an academic course, work terms are a mandatory component to this form of experiential learning.

Students starting in the Hospitality - Hotel and Restaurant Operations Management Diploma program in September will be invited to apply to the co-op option during their first academic semester. Entrance to the co-op option is limited and the processes for securing a work term are competitive.  Students who qualify for co-op will be eligible to complete a four-month, paid work term between the second and third semesters of their program.

Supports are available through the Co-op office to assist students with securing their work terms. In addition, the Co-op office is in contact with co-op students and their employers during the work terms to help with any questions. Upon completing the work term, co-op students return to campus to complete their final two academic semesters of the program before graduating.

Guided by a field-to-fork philosophy, this program prepares students to be leaders in the rapidly evolving food sector. Working in a one-of-a-kind environment, you will learn to create the wholesome, locally produced, farm-fresh food in demand by today’s consumers, and how you can contribute solutions to communities looking to feed cities in creative and sustainable ways. In addition, you will experience how agri-tourism brings urban residents to farming and will have an enhanced awareness of local food production.

With more than 50 hours of your time spent in the labs and fields of the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, you will gain a unique hands-on opportunity to become familiar with the concepts that are critical to the food and agricultural industry, all within the context of a field-to-fork philosophy. You will learn in our fields, greenhouses, hoop house and state-of-the-art food chemistry and processing labs, while planning for, planting, tending to and harvesting more than 50 different varieties of produce, berry bushes, herbs and more.

Through the development of your own value-added food products, you will have a greater knowledge and understanding of the opportunities that come with food production. Whether you are interested in a career with a food company, managing a food operation, developing your own food product or owning a greenhouse or production farm, you will gain critical skills in modern farming concepts and food processing to position you as an industry leader.

The Food and Farming program will offer you a hands-on opportunity to become familiar with the concepts of food production. You will focus on:

• Plant propagation
• Soil and plant nutrition
• Fruit and vegetable production under field, greenhouse, garden and container conditions
• Product development
• Food processing including niche processing of local foods
• Food and agriculture regulations
• Disease and pest management
• Business practices including product branding, entrepreneurship and marketing.

It will be offered at the Whitby campus, home of the college’s new Centre for Food. This incredible new learning centre will undergo further expansion to include orchards, agricultural fields, greenhouses and more. Students will also utilize the specialized laboratories at the college’s Oshawa campus and participate in several field trips through the year.

HVAC technicians are required in many parts of our everyday lives. From installing the latest high-efficiency furnace in your home to keeping you cool in your office, a Durham College HVAC technician has got your covered.

Destination marketers are multidisciplinary professionals who specialize in identifying, developing and executing strategies to drive socio-economic success for locations and attractions around the world.

In this program, students learn how to uphold service and quality standards throughout the customer lifecycle; develop a digital and social media presence and marketing plans that align with business goals and strengthen brand recognition; cultivate partnerships and relationships; explore entrepreneurial opportunities in destination marketing; and conduct powerful market research and customer analytics to guide the development of effective tourism products and experiences.

Graduates will lead and support business development initiatives that build a destination’s reputation in order to attract tourists, investors and skilled professionals. Equipped with a broad base of skills and knowledge, they help destinations realize significant economic impacts that contribute to job creation, community sustainability and improved quality of life for residents and visitors alike.

Executive assistants are administrative professionals who contribute to the effectiveness of an office in an important way. They manage projects and budgets, make travel arrangements and manage events, prepare communication and take on a collection of essential tasks. Excellent at time management, project management and multi-tasking, they are critical to any organization. You will learn from professionals who are current in their field and will have the opportunity to enhance your resumé with real-life work experience.

Classes in this program are offered in a compressed format on three consecutive days each week.

This two-year diploma program is designed to provide you with the skills and knowledge required of an executive office assistant. You will gain extensive practical understanding and knowledge of office concepts; business operations and procedures; current computer software; and how to collaborate on various management activities.

You will develop your skills through various learning methods such as group and individual projects, discussions, lectures, case studies and office simulations.

Emphasis is placed on the practical demands of the job including:-

• High-level word processing skills
• Preparing professional documents with accuracy
• Developing presentation, Internet, email, project management, spreadsheet and database skills in a network environment
• Interpersonal and human relations
• Meeting deadlines
• Organizing activities

If you choose to pursue this option, you should enjoy working on computers and interacting with others. In addition, you must be willing to work to develop a professional level of ability in business skills.

Want to get one step closer to an independent career in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration? Perhaps you want to be the one to call the shots on a job site? The Gas Technician 2 program will give you additional knowledge in code requirements, propane fundamentals, system testing and troubleshooting so that you can challenge the Technical Standards & Safety Authority (TSSA) for a license that will get you one step closer to a rewarding career.

Through theoretical and practical workshop experience, you will receive training in:

• Applicable code requirements
• Natural gas and propane fundamentals
• Pipe and equipment installation practice
• System testing and troubleshooting of a variety of residential and light commercial appliances used for both heating and hot water
• Introduction to metal fabrication
• Oil technician license