Today, Durham College president Gary Polonsky unveiled plans for the creation of the Manufacturing and Information Technology Centre (MITC), plus the expansion of the college's Oshawa and Whitby campuses. MITC and the campus enlargements will be the first major academic expansion of the college since the world-class Skills Training Centre was built nearly six years ago.
"This is a major step forward for Durham Region and Ontario," says Mr. Polonsky. "With thousands of IT jobs going begging, the Manufacturing and Information Technology Centre will help produce more of the highly skilled workers that local and Canadian businesses so desperately need. It's also a breakthrough for Durham Region residents, since the manufacturing and IT sectors offer well-paying jobs with phenomenal opportunity for advancement."
The project has three main components: a smart building at the Oshawa campus; computer support and upgrades, plus a new communications centre, also at the Oshawa campus; and expansion of the Skills Training Centre in Whitby. Bell Canada, General Motors, IBM and Nortel Networks have partnered with Durham College to plan and execute the project.
In the 1999 Ontario budget, Durham College was one of the four post-secondary institutions identified to have submitted an "exciting proposal" to build and/or upgrade facilities. The statement was prefaced by mention of the SuperBuild Growth Fund which this year will invest almost $750 million in Ontario colleges and universities.
Durham College will create a multi-million-dollar "smart building" at the Oshawa campus. Among the many highlights of the building will be a computer-integrated manufacturing lab, two technical labs, classrooms and a lecture theatre.
The second phase of MITC will include technical support for the smart building and its linking to the college. As well, a new communications centre will be created, along with updated classrooms and new or renovated facilities.
For MITC's third phase, Durham College's Skills Training Centre in Whitby, which is operating at capacity, will undergo significant expansion. Six new classrooms, meeting rooms, offices, and a learning centre with 50 computer workstations will be added.
"Oshawa and Whitby are major players in the domestic and international manufacturing scene," notes Mr. Polonsky. "Durham is also the fastest-growing Ontario college and we've had a lot of experience in carrying out big projects on time and within budget."
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