Whitby: Durham Catholic students try cook apprenticeship at Durham College

Grade 11 and 12 students from the Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) spent Tuesday, October 27, in a professional kitchen instead of a classroom, attending the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) Cook Information Day at Durham College's Whitby campus. Students from across Durham Region, including Ajax, took part, according to the board.

The students met Durham College faculty and toured the culinary labs and facilities at the college's Centre for Food. They prepared salads and dressings, cooked pasta and sauces, and assembled lunches, getting a practical feel for the pace and precision of a working kitchen.

The day also covered the practical side of the program, including the OYAP Cook application, how placements are arranged, and what the apprenticeship process involves. OYAP allows Ontario secondary students to explore and begin training in skilled trades while earning credits toward their diploma. The board, which operates schools in Ajax, Pickering, Whitby and Oshawa, described the day as a chance for students to explore the apprenticeship route directly with the college that could train them.