Certificate in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Techniques (HVAC)

at Durham College Canada

The Hospitality industry is growing fast - so fast that the industry is bracing for significant labour shortages. Thousands of jobs will be available across Canada for people with the right education, skills and attitude. From the front desk at a hotel or resort, to a food and beverage service position at a restaurant or club, or customer service positions in a wide variety of businesses, there will be many outstanding opportunities. If you enjoy travel, meeting new people, and have a passion for being a part of an industry that makes people happy, Hospitality Skills is a great place to start.

The Hospitality Skills program will provide you with an introduction to hotel, restaurant and tourism operations and the knowledge and expertise required for an entry-level position in the hospitality field. You will have the opportunity to earn industry-recognized certifications related to food and beverage service and safe food handling.

You will learn how to

• Provide hospitality service in a professional manner in order to increase customer satisfaction
• Identify and describe the various sectors of the Canadian tourism industry
• Use basic calculations to assist with daily functions of a hospitality operation
• Assist in development and implementation of a hospitality operation’s marketing plan and materials
• Follow all relevant health and safety legislation and regulations
• Plan and implement personal and professional development strategies related to the hospitality industry
• Support daily functions of a hospitality operation using current technologies and computer applications
• Perform duties of an entry-level accommodation operations team member
• Explain theories of food and beverage service and perform basic service tasks

Students in this program will benefit from working and learning in Bistro ’67, a full-service, green-certified teaching and learning restaurant operated by staff and students. 

Qualified graduates of the Hospitality Skills certificate program may have the opportunity to continue their studies by completing a second year to obtain their diploma in Hospitality - Hotel and Restaurant Operations Management.

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.

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.

Grab a wrench and jump into the high-demand skilled trade field of plumbing. This one-year certificate program will provide you with skills sought by employers and position you at the front of workers competing for entry-level jobs in the plumbing industry, including apprenticeships.

Working with our experienced professors, you will gain valuable theoretical knowledge and receive practical hands-on training in the basics of residential and commercial plumbing and hydronic heating system designs and installations.

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.

Accredited by the Technical Standards & Safety Authority (TSSA), the Power Engineering Techniques – Fourth Class program is designed to introduce you to theoretical and practical aspects of power generation and plant operation. Theory taught in class will be applied through experiential learning in Durham College’s state-of-the-art registered Power Plant and electrical labs where students will learn to operate and maintain equipment in a safe and efficient manner while also gaining valuable hands-on experience. Students who successfully complete this program qualify for a nine-month reduction in steam time. In addition, students who pass their two TSSA tests and successfully complete three months of industry experience qualify for their Fourth Class Operating Engineer certificate of qualification.

Civil engineering influences every aspect of our physical environment or infrastructure. Civil Engineering Technologists plan, design, construct, maintain and recycle the structures in our communities such as roads, bridges, highways, airports, pipelines and tunnels. These systems keep our transportation systems operating, water flowing and gas and electricity supplied to consumers. It is one of the most established engineering disciplines and by far one of the busiest.

In this program, you will be exposed to modern civil technologies and develop skills in computer assisted design and drafting (CAD), geographic information system (GIS), building information modelling (BIM), and safe working principles in accordance with various Canadian civil engineering codes, quality control standards and regulations.

You will also have two options to gain valuable experience in the workplace and will either complete a field placement or participate in the co-operative education (co-op) option of the program. Students can also access membership to the Toronto Construction Association.

Civil Engineering influences every aspect of our physical environment or infrastructure.

Civil Engineering Technologist students will be exposed to modern civil technologies and develop skills in computer assisted design (CAD) and drafting, Geographic Information System (GIS), Building Information Modelling (BIM), and safe working principles in accordance with various Canadian Civil Engineering Codes, Quality Control Standards and Regulations.

Graduates of the Civil Engineering Technology program will be able to carry out design and 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. Skills learned in class will be honed through co-operative education or field placement options.

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 of this form of experiential learning.

Students in the Civil Engineering Technology Advanced 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. After academic semester 4, students will be eligible to complete two consecutive work terms before returning to campus to complete their final academic semesters 5 and 6 before graduating.

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.

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

The Honours Bachelor of Construction Management (HBCM) program provides students with the knowledge, skills and abilities they will need to succeed in a career in the industrial, residential, institutional, or commercial construction industries. Graduates of the HBCM program will be prepared to make meaningful contributions to the prosperity, sustainability and resiliency of Ontario’s economic future.

As Ontario’s construction sector enjoys sustained and significant expansion, the growing demand for skilled workers continues to create excellent employment opportunities for knowledgeable and well-prepared graduates to fill the estimated 118,000 new construction sector jobs that will be created over the next 15 years.

It is anticipated that demand for well-trained employees will be even more pronounced in occupations that require an advanced level of skill, such as construction managers, estimators, job site superintendents and project managers.