The WattNext career expo brought more than 1,500 students, families, job seekers and education professionals to Durham College’s Oshawa campus, according to a new report from the college.
The October 29 account provides an attendance figure and a look at what participants experienced, following earlier coverage of Ontario Power Generation’s recruitment and training initiatives in Durham.
Demonstrations and career conversations
Durham College says it hosted the nuclear-career event jointly with OPG and Ontario Tech University. Interactive exhibits, demonstrations and conversations with industry representatives connected visitors with information about jobs and the education routes leading to them.
The fields discussed included skilled trades, engineering, technology and operations. The attendance figure covers several groups of visitors; it is not a count of job offers, hires or students enrolled in a particular program.
Connecting classroom learning with employers
Power Engineering Techniques student Peter Sasso described the expo as a chance to meet potential employers and see how technology studied in class is used in the nuclear industry, according to the college’s account.
The Faculty of Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship also presented its programs. Executive Dean Tania Clérac emphasized the value of early employer connections as learners prepare to work with increasingly sophisticated equipment and systems.
College president Elaine Popp linked the event to the role of post-secondary education in preparing a workforce for Ontario’s energy sector. Those comments describe education and career pathways; the report does not announce a new hiring guarantee or a placement total.
A new post-event attendance report
The WattNext career expo account is distinct from the September public power expo in Courtice and from earlier announcements promoting nuclear careers. Its new local development is the Oshawa event’s completed attendance and participant experience, rather than another notice advertising an upcoming expo.
Durham College published the report at 1:30 p.m. on October 29. The college’s program information provides additional detail for readers exploring Power Engineering Techniques.
