Courses focused towards a career

What are they?

Specialist High Skills Majors let students focus on a career path that matches their skills and interests while meeting the requirements of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Students receive the SHSM seal on their diploma when they:

  • complete a specific bundle of 8-10 courses in the student's selected field
  • earn valuable industry certifications including first aid and CPR qualifications
  • gain important skills on the job through cooperative education placements.
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Who are they for?

Grade 11 and 12 students who are:

  • heading for apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace
  • wanting to identify, explore and refine their career goals and make informed choices about their next steps after secondary school.

How can they help?

Students have the opportunity to:

  • gain important skills on the job with actual employers, at skills training centres and at school
  • earn valuable industry certifications, including first aid and CPR qualifications.

Want to find out what's available?

Specialist High Skills Major programs available in 2021-22

To access school address information, please check the School Information Finder.

Policy and implementation documents, and supplementary resources for SHSM programs:

The content of the SHSM Policy and Implementation Guide follows below. Note that section A3 can be printed by sector.

Abbreviations Used in This Guide

Introduction

  1. How This Document Is Organized
  2. About the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM)
  3. Overview: The Planning and Implementation Process, Step by Step

A. Policy

B. Implementation

C. Resources

SHSM Visual Identity

Additional Policy and Resource Documents

Workplace Safety Documents:

ISBN 978-1-4868-2487-8 (HTML)