Diploma in Welding Engineering Technician (Co-op option)

at Durham College - Whitby Campus Canada

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.

In today’s skills-specific job market there is a demand for construction workers with the knowledge and skills to work in the evolving building construction industry. This program will provide foundational skills to transition into the current construction industry with a strong knowledge of the Ontario Building Code, latest edition. You will gain expertise in energy-efficient, sustainable and environmentally responsible homes built with up-to-date materials and low carbon footprint, including Net Ready and Net Zero designs. This is a great opportunity for energetic students to join the booming construction industry. Graduates will meet the Ministry of Labour’s Working at Heights training requirement.  Students will 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.

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 student's academic and personal goals. Similar to an academic course, work terms are a mandatory component to this form of experiential learning.

Health offices are increasingly complex, driven by technology and requiring strong administrators at the helm. As a student in this program, you will learn medical terminology and have a general understanding of anatomy and physiology. You will understand procedures required to operate a medical office and will be able to transcribe a wide range of medical data. You will understand the latest hospital information systems and know how to use them. 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 program is designed to develop the skills required to perform administrative support in a wide variety of medical environments. You will gain a practical understanding and knowledge on topics including:

• A basic understanding of anatomy and physiology
• Confidentiality and privacy
• Medical billing
• Medical ethics
• Medical office procedures
• Medical terminology and transcription
• Electronic medical record software
• Patient management

With the medical field constantly changing and computers bringing new concepts and approaches to office procedures, you will receive training in computerized medical records systems, computerized Ontario Health Insurance Plan billing systems and other office equipment technology applications. This program will help you become a skilled and specialized professional that is comfortable with the latest technology and able to compete effectively in the workplace.

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

Water is a life source that millions of species depend on for survival. As a water quality technician, you will work towards keeping water safe for consumption and for its return to the environment through proven treatment methods. Distribution and collection methods will also be examined. As part of this program, you will complete the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks entry-level Drinking Water course and may also challenge the four Ministry operator-in-training exams (water treatment, wastewater treatment, water distribution and wastewater collection) for an additional fee. This program also offers you the opportunity to add to your skills and knowledge with real-life work experience gained through either a field placement or a co-operative education (co-op) experience.

Program Details:
Public health depends on the superior management of water quality and a team of professionals is required to ensure safe water for residents of Ontario. The Water Quality Technician program is designed to provide you with the knowledge and practical skills to work in water and wastewater treatment, water distribution, wastewater collection and environmental monitoring.
You will receive the specific education required to develop the skills needed to meet the demands of municipalities with water and wastewater treatment systems, water-use industries and environmental monitoring agencies.
Classes will be delivered at both the Oshawa and Whitby campuses, depending on the semester and year. This enables students to utilize various applicable lab resources. Students will be notified in advance when they register for classes.

You will focus on:

• Engineering concepts
• Environmental quality
• Professional responsibility relating to co-workers, the public and regulators
• The impact that water quality has on human health

Targeted skills development includes:

• Chemistry and mathematics related to water quality, treatment and analysis
• Conflict management, problem solving and effective communications
• Emerging pathogen risks and public health concepts
• Hydrology
• Knowledge development in the areas of operation of water and wastewater systems
• Microbiology
• System design concepts and blue print reading
• Sampling, laboratory techniques and data interpretation

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 Water Quality 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.

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.

Office administrators are administrative professionals who are vital to the effectiveness of any organization. The phone is ringing, there are three spreadsheets open on your computer screen and a team meeting starts in two minutes. This is the life of an office administrator. Personable and committed, they create order out of chaos and provide the glue that holds businesses together. Our industry-connected professors will prepare you to make an impact on any organization right away. 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.

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

The Event Planning program is ideally suited for organized and detail-oriented individuals, who naturally take the lead in groups and projects and thrive in a high-energy, creative environment. Students are prepared for a career that offers incredible versatility and spans almost every industry. They learn how to design, plan and execute a wide array of corporate, community and social events while developing a strong business acumen through experiential learning in our W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (WC) event space.

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 Special Events Management 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.