Hire & Retain

This is your one stop shop for labour market information, job boards and intel on the Durham Region employment sectors. Since 1996 we have worked to improve the availability of locally focused labour market information. Visit them online.

Jobs First Durham

Jobs First Durham is an interconnected system of tools designed to support the development of a healthy workforce in Durham Region.  These tools support employers achieving their workforce goals by providing real-time access to important local labour market information and streamlining the career development and job search process for job seekers.

Detailed Occupation Profiles

Detailed profiles provide both employers and job seekers with vital information about a position they are trying to fill or career they are considering.  These interactive profiles include local salary information, common skills, local employers, possible career paths, skills development direction and current local job opportunities for all occupations.   Providing all of this information in one location streamlines the career development and job search functions for job seekers and provides relevant local information to help employers refine their workforce development strategies.

Job & Training Events

A comprehensive listing of employment training and hiring events in Durham Region.

Comprehensive Jobs Board

The Jobs First Durham jobs board includes job listings posted over 40 different top talent search websites.  They are automatically imported on an hourly basis and are sortable in a variety of ways, including a mapping tool that provides information on transit and other service availability near the posting employer.

Employer Accounts

Employers can now register for a FREE Jobs First Durham account!  By creating an account, employer will be able to follow the occupations, sectors, and other employers in their sector that they wish to monitor.  They will have a personalized dashboard that summarizes local wage/salary data and job posting activity based on their personal preferences.

Job Seekers Accounts

Job seekers can now register for a FREE Jobs First Durham account!  By creating an account, they will be able to follow the occupations, sectors, and employers that interest them.  This will generate a personalized stream of job postings based on their personal preferences, including highlighting postings that match the job seekers skill set.

Interactive Resume Builder

Jobs First Durham users can create, store, and download professional resumes using our interactive resume building tool.  This tool will take users through the process of building a resume step-by-step, offering tips and suggestions based on their personalized profile.

Skills Demand Report

This report provides insight into the skills most sought by local employers.  This can be viewed in an absolute form across all job postings or personalized to reflect skills for a user’s chosen occupation, sector or employer.

Career Calculator

This unique and interactive tool allows users to learn more about whether a given occupation is a wise investment for them by calculating a personalized return on investment.  Users enter their age, education, employment income and experience and then select the occupation they would like to pursue.  The tool provides localized information on job posting activity, income, and education programs specific to the chosen occupation.  It then calculates the anticipated return on investment using the information provided by the user.

Check out all of the Jobs First Durham Tools here:

Durham has long been a community of choice for immigrants to Canada. Immigrants bring skills, experience and access to global markets – contributing to the social and cultural richness of the Region and to our shared economic prosperity.

Learn more about how to support the successful settlement of newcomers and immigrants in Durham region. The Durham Local Immigration Partnership is a collective of organizations working together to build welcoming communities, to attract and retain newcomers.

And leverage this Durham Region Playbook - World Education Services to recruit, hire, onboard and integrate talented newcomers into your organization.

Leverage this website to understand the benefits of hiring persons with disabilities; find talent; find employers, and more! discoverability.network

Take advantage of Employment Services, offered by the Abilities Centre.

High-school students are ready to help your business! Check out our members that also offer programming to encourage the hiring of their students (paid and unpaid business support):

• Blythe Academy
• Durham Catholic School Board
• Durham District School Board
• Trafalgar Castle School
• Trinity College

Durham Region tri-institutions: Visit InvestDurham.ca/TapIntoTalent to learn more about Durham Region’s top student talent and how the tri-institutions of Durham College, Trent University Durham and Ontario Tech University offer opportunities to drive innovation in business and strengthen our regional economy.

Durham College

The Career Development office enables employers to recruit and hire students and graduates of Durham College’s over 140 programs. Our students offer fresh perspectives, a wealth of technical knowledge and practical skills that will enhance any organization. Whether you are looking for contract, summer, part-time or full-time employees, Career Development can connect you with students and graduates by offering free job posting services, on-campus recruiting opportunities and resources.

Recruit and hire students and graduates | Durham College

Ontario Tech University

• Work with the Career Centre team to recruit students for coops, internships, practicums, placements, part-time and full-time roles. Contact careercentre@ontariotechu.ca

Upskilling and reskilling – Learn how individuals or organization can leverage

• Continuous Learning is the hub for not-for-credit programming at the university. Working in hybrid with all faculties, Continuous Learning builds and houses certificate programs and learning opportunities including micro-credentials that support lifelong learning.
• TALENT’s vision is to transform Ontario’s workforce by creating talent pipeline in key sectors impacted by digital transformation. Affiliated with Ontario Tech University, TALENT develops industry-approved micro-credentials to prepare customers for high-growth careers of the future.

Looking for more? Contact the Partnership Office.

Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area

In 2010, Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area opened its’ campus on Thornton Road South, building upon 40 years of degree granting in the Durham Region. The campus continues to grow with over 1000 new student applications annually. Popular degrees include Bachelor of Business Administration, Post-Graduate certificates in Marketing, Entrepreneurship, and Human Resource Management, and our Master of Management program. The Durham campus focuses on meeting local needs: business management and community health and wellness graduates and placement opportunities, as well as offering community-based research to their partners. Trent University Durham GTA (Trent Durham) is renowned for the innovative and ground-breaking research conducted by faculty and students, on campus, and around the world.

Trent Durham:

• Offers students the opportunity to gain hands-on, career-related experience in virtually every program. This includes workplace projects, capstones, and applied research.
• Currently, experiential learning opportunities exist in 14 departments at Trent, including placement opportunities in Business Administration, Child & Youth Studies, and Policing & Community Well-being.
• Students in past placements have developed digital marketing plans, program proposals, new business development, and worked on event administration or accounting responsibilities for various organizations across Ontario.
• The Office of Workplace Partnerships & Experiential Learning is your on-campus and online resource for recruiting qualified students and recent graduates for your organization. Gain a valuable team member with fresh ideas from the number one undergraduate school for producing leaders of tomorrow and bring a student’s education to life.
• At Trent Durham we encourage businesses to visit a class to speak about experience working in the field. We work to encourage students and educate them in all sectors of work.

Trent Durham Students

Most students reside in the Durham Region and approximately 70% commute to campus in less than 40 minutes.

Breakdown of Experiential Learning Field Placement Programs & Community Consultancy:

Undergraduate School of Business Field Placement

• Field placement is open to fourth year Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Majors in the School of Business.
• 100 hours (per semester) of hands-on real-world work with reflective practice.
• Available approximately 1 day per week during Fall and/or Winter Semesters: 12-24 weeks (flexible schedule).
• Work placements can be paid or unpaid in a business-based learning setting (Remote available).
• Workplace Insurance is provided for unpaid* placements.
• All students complete Ministry of Labour Health & Safety and COVID-19 Training.
• Hiring period begins 2-3 months ahead of the Fall or Winter semester (July or November).
• Placement hosts provide student feedback and provide students with an environment (remote or in-person) aimed at meeting the program goals.

University of Waterloo

University of Waterloo is a one stop shop for up and coming talent. We have student available to work on temporary projects, for 4 or 8 months and new graduates as well. What separates the University of Waterloo from other institutions is our talent pool. We have about 10,000 students available to work, starting January, May and September all year round. These students are located throughout the GTA (including Durham region), and can work remotely, in person or a hybrid.

At the University of Waterloo Co-operative and Experiential Education department (CEE), we specialize in helping businesses connect with top talent. Our team helps companies access student talent, funding opportunities of up to 70% and resources to help ease their hiring.

From engineering to web developers, administrators to marketers, accounting to project managers, Waterloo students have the capabilities and experience to fill roles across organizations. They’re also available to work on location or remotely, depending on the preference of employers. Although student study at the University of Waterloo, they are located throughout the GTA, we have about 10,000 students available each term, please take a look at the 120 program available to pick co-op students from, https://uwaterloo.ca/future-students/programs/by-faculty.

Interested in accessing our students?

• (Step 1) Register for a WaterlooWorks account
• (Step 2) Post your position (once you register): Here are the instructions on how to post a job.

Leverage this interactive data tool to help you pinpoint growing industries, talent pipeline, logistics advantages and more!