Welcome to Durham Workforce Authority

Train for In-Demand Careers in Durham Region

New skills. New opportunities. New careers. The Durham Workforce Authority’s (DWA)  Skills Advance Ontario (SAO) Career Training program helps individuals prepare for in-demand jobs and build a stronger future in Durham Region.

If you are out of work, working less than you want, or looking for a new career, this program may be right for you. The DWA SAO Career Training program helps people who have been laid off or are working fewer than 20 hours a week and are looking for a new career path. You’ll receive free training, career coaching, and ongoing support to help you prepare for work and find job opportunities.

When you join the program, you’ll be guided into one of two training pathways, based on your interests, experience, and goals.

Learn more about Nuclear Energy Careers

Learn more about Healthcare Careers

 

Data Walk 2026 advertisement featuring images of people engaging in discussions and activities related to discovering data, understanding trends, and driving impact. The event is organized by the Durham Workforce Authority with a focus on labor market experience.

DWA Data Walk Returns October 30, 2026 

Celebrating 30 Years of Impact

The Durham Workforce Authority (DWA) will host its annual Data Walk on October 30, 2026, bringing together employers, community partners, educators, and job seekers to explore the latest labour market trends in Durham Region.

This year’s event marks a significant milestone as DWA celebrates its 30th anniversary.

The Data Walk transforms labour market information into an interactive experience, allowing participants to engage directly with key insights from the Jobs First Durham (JFD) platform and other labour market information. Through a series of visual stations, attendees explore topics such as in-demand occupations, workforce challenges, and jobseeker trends.  This years event will focus on Durham’s priority economic clusters.

The event will conclude with a 30th anniversary reception, recognizing DWA’s long-standing role in supporting workforce development and evidence-based decision-making across the region.

Whether you are planning programs, hiring talent, or exploring career opportunities, the Data Walk offers valuable insights to support your work.

Register today to secure your spot!

Lakeview Hub

 

The Lakeview Hub is dedicated to empowering the community by providing accessible support services that address employment, personal development, and emotional well-being. Knowing that real support means more than just helping with job searches—it’s about helping people thrive in every part of their lives.

Their vision is simple: a Lakeview where everyone has access to the support, services and opportunities they need to grow. At Lakeview Hub, you’ll find a warm, welcoming space where people connect, find encouragement, and feel respected and valued.  We’re building a place where everyone feels seen, heard, and truly cared for.

Visit the Lakeview Hub website to learn more!

 

 

 

NEW! Quarterly and Annual Labour Market Insights Reports

A close-up of a chart displaying labour market insights for Durham, covering data from January to December 2025. The chart includes information on job duration, job types, total active job posts, average posting duration in days, average posted wage for in-demand occupations such as retail salespersons and food counter attendants. It also highlights essential skills such as communication and management. The source is noted at the bottom with a URL link.

 

Our Jobs First Durham system allows the Durham Workforce Authority to extract labour market information directly from jobs posted in the Durham Region.  It scans more than 50 of the top employment websites to extract wage, skill, location and other relevant data, providing reliable and local information on what employers and job seekers need.

Our interactive Labour Market Insights tool enables everyone in our community to understand what’s happening in Durham’s workforce.  This real-time information supports the data-driven decision-making that empowers community stakeholders to continue developing a robust and sustainable local workforce.

To further support the community’s efforts at making data-driven decisions, the DWA has developed a new printer-friendly version of the report that will be released quarterly and annually.  We’ve included some highlights of the most recent month and a link to the most recent quarterly report below.

Check out the most recent quarterly and annual Durham Region Labour Market Insights Reports

 

 

Labour Market Information (LMI) Video Series

 

Here at DWA, we have created a video series all about LMI to inform the community about the importance of LMI and to provide Employment Ontario Service Providers, Economic Development and Chambers of Commerce, Community Partners, Employers, and Job Seekers with access to timely LMI data and analysis.

The 11 videos include, but are not limited to: the eight indicators, the monthly labour force survey data for Oshawa CMA, local custom data that are legacy pieces from the LEPC, and other critical pieces of labour market information in an accessible format.

Click any of the titles below to watch the video, or click here to view the whole playlist!

1. Definition of CMA

2. Key Components of Labour Fore Survey

3. Labour Market Information

4. DWA 101

5. Canadian Business Count

6. Durham Region Key Sectors Overview

7. Durham Region Key Sectors and Employment Levels (1/2)

8. Durham Region Key Sectors and Employment Levels (2/2)

9. Basic Labour Market Indicators Overview

10. Basic Labour Market Indicators (1/2)

11. Basic Labour Market Indicators (2/2)

 

What's Happening

  • Building Durham’s Child Care Workforce: Career Opportunities, Training and Local Insights

    Discover career opportunities in Durham Region’s growing child care sector. Learn about Child Care Assistant careers, local training programs, wages, hiring demand, and the Jobs First Durham Child Care Resource Hub to help you start or advance your career.

  • Empowering Durham’s Workforce: A Deep Dive into Skills Advance Ontario (SAO)

    The Skills Advance Ontario (SAO) program is helping displaced workers transition into rewarding careers in Durham Region’s growing energy and healthcare sectors. Through free training, personalized supports, and strong community partnerships, participants can build the skills needed for in-demand careers in nuclear energy and Personal Support Worker (PSW) roles.

  • Book Review: The Entrepreneur’s Money Blueprint

    Recently, the DWA bookkeeper, Mohamed Rizwan Bachani, released his important book, The Entrepreneur’s Money Blueprint. This book provides Canadian entrepreneurs with clear guides and rational road maps to setting up the financial side of a business.  As a long-standing, award-winning accountant, Mohamed Bachani knows what he is talking about.