The Ontario government is providing 79 million dollars to fund 2,861 additional postsecondary seats at Ontario Tech University and Durham College.
The funding is part of a broader provincial investment of 1.7 billion dollars supporting more than 70,000 additional seats in programs focused on areas including STEM, health care, education and the skilled trades.
The province says the new seats at Ontario Tech and Durham College are intended to connect more students with in-demand careers and help address regional labour market needs.
Of the 2,861 new seats, 2,523 will be at Ontario Tech University. That includes:
- 1,021 seats in STEM programs
- 436 seats in health programs
- 272 seats in education programs
- 794 seats in other labour-market-driven programs
Durham College will receive funding for 338 new seats, including:
- 151 in skilled trades
- 132 in STEM
- 55 in health programs
The province says seats will be available for student enrollment as early as the fall 2026 academic year.
The investment follows a provincial call for proposals in which colleges and universities identified programs based on their institutional strengths, regional economic trends, local labour market needs and student demand.
The government says more than 1,000 letters of support were submitted by employers backing expansions in high-demand programs.
Ontario Tech President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Steven Murphy says the investment will expand access to programs in fields including engineering, nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced transportation and health care.
Durham College President Dr. Elaine Popp says the additional capacity will create more opportunities for students while helping employers access skilled workers.
The 79-million-dollar Durham investment is part of Ontario’s broader 6.4-billion-dollar postsecondary funding model.
