Spark Innovation Centre today announced plans to open a new student entrepreneurship contact centre at Durham College’s Oshawa campus.
This new centre will be strategic in a number of ways:
- A focal point location where Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT)interconnect on their joint north Oshawa campus
- Provides Spark Centre with on-campus day-to-day access to more than 20,000 full-time college and university students
- Provides additional support opportunities for Spark Centre with the FastStart consortium
More than 70% of Spark Centre’s clients annually emerge from the post-secondary student population at Durham College and UOIT. This on-campus centre, almost exactly where the college and university intersect, will provide Spark Centre with additional opportunity to reach students daily in order to provide advisory services and promote the value of entrepreneurship as a career.
“Over the past number of years we have continued to invest in new resources and tools beyond the classroom to foster greater entrepreneurship in our students,” said Don Lovisa, President, Durham College. “When you combine this with the excellent leadership, resources and mentorship available through the Spark Centre, our students have more opportunities than ever before to flex their entrepreneurial side, launch business ideas and ultimately find success. We are very pleased to be able to open this new space and expand our partnership with Spark Centre.”
“The campus in North Oshawa is very unique in Canada, given it has both college and university students converging, who are more often looking to start their own business,” said Dennis Croft, President & CEO, Spark Centre. “Spark Centre is so excited that Durham College has been able to provide space for us to create great proximity to such innovative talent.”
“The City of Oshawa’s partnership with Spark Centre has continued to bring growing prosperity to our youth entrepreneurship population and I am ecstatic that Durham College is providing Spark Centre an on campus student contact centre,” said City of Oshawa Mayor, John Henry. “This will continue to show Spark Centre’s commitment to supporting post-secondary students, and that entrepreneurship is a key part of our City’s economic foundation.”
