Energy

Overview

The Specialist High Skills Major in Energy (SHSM–Energy) helps students build a foundation of sector-focused knowledge and skills before graduating and entering apprenticeship training, college, university or an entry-level position in the workplace. Students will be involved in today's rapid and exciting changes in green energy technologies. They will have the opportunity to solve some of the most pressing issues facing modern societies, while having good prospects for a varied career in a dynamic sector.

This SHSM program has 5 required components: 

• bundle of 9 credits
• certifications and training recognized by the energy sector
• experiential learning and career exploration activities
• reach ahead experiences
• sector-partnered experiences (SPEs)

Find a list of some of the careers that this SHSM can lead to.

Variants of this SHSM

The SHSM–Energy can focus on a specific area (for example, power generation and distribution, renewal and alternative energy, or energy efficiency) by varying the mix of its 4 major credits.

Where local circumstances allow, your school board may offer 1 or more variants of this SHSM.

Bundle of 9 credits

The SHSM–Energy requires students to complete a bundle of 9 Grade 11 and Grade 12 credits, made up of 4 major credits, 3 other required credits and 2 cooperative education (co-op) credits.

These credits are required for all students, regardless of the pathway a student chooses after graduation:

• apprenticeship training
• college
• university
• the workplace

Four major credits

These credits provide energy-specific knowledge and skills.

These 4 credits:

• can be any combination of Grade 11 and Grade 12 credits
• may include up to 3 energy-related co-op credits (these are additional to the 2 required co-op credits in the bundle)

We (the Ministry of Education) maintain an SHSM-approved course list for the energy sector. Contact the SHSM lead at your school board to get the list.

Three other required credits

These are required credits from the Ontario curriculum.

These 3 credits must include:

• one English credit (a compulsory English credit is required in Grade 11 and Grade 12 to graduate)
• one mathematics credit
• one of the following:
  • science credit
  • business studies credit
  • Canadian and world studies credit
  • additional major credit
  • additional energy-related co-op credit (in addition to the 2 co-op credits required in the bundle)

Your school may commit to including a contextualized learning activity (CLA) for the energy sector in each of these 3 credits. If your school offers this, then:

• some of the course expectations for these credits are met through the CLA
• your school decides if the CLA for English is completed in Grade 11 or in Grade 12

Even if your school does not formally commit to including CLAs, it can still offer them in 1 or more of these credits.

Two cooperative education co-op credits

Co-op credits in the energy SHSM provide students with real learning experiences in a energy workplace setting. This lets students refine, extend, apply and practice:

• knowledge and skills they learned in the cooperative education curriculum
• energy-specific knowledge and skills learned through their SHSM program

Certifications and training

Students must complete 3 compulsory and 3 elective certifications and/or training courses/programs that are recognized by the energy sector.

Compulsory certifications and training

Students must complete:

• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Level C — includes automated external defibrillation (AED)
• Standard First Aid
• Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) — generic, not site-specific, instruction

These are the proper names of the specific certifications or training courses/programs for this SHSM.

Elective certifications and training

These are names of an area, type or category of training. In these cases, your school board selects the specific certifications or training courses and programs.

Students must complete any 3 of the following electives:

• advanced training in a technique
• advanced training in a technology
• alternative energy
• anti-oppression and allyship training
• basic electrical safety
• compass/map/global positioning system (GPS)
• computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM)
• confined space awareness
• customer service
• elevated work platforms
• energy efficiency
• ergonomics
• fall protection
• fire safety and fire extinguisher use
• first aid/CPR/AED awareness
• geographic information system (GIS)
• hazardous materials
• health and safety – basic
• hoisting and rigging
• infection control
• ladder safety training
• leadership skills
• lockout/tagging
• ozone-depletion prevention
• pipeline construction safety
• portfolio development
• project management
• radiation safety
• renewable energy
• sector specific software 1
• sector-specific vehicle operation and safety
• trenching safety
• watershed management
• working at heights

Learn more about certification and training in SHSM programs.

Experiential learning and career exploration activities

Experiential learning and career exploration opportunities relevant to the energy sector might include instances where an SHSM student:

• observes a co-op student one-on-one at a placement in the energy sector (an example of job twinning)
• shadows an energy sector worker for a day (an example of job shadowing)
• works with a member of an energy industry association or professional for 1 or 2 weeks (an example of work experience)
• attends an energy sector trade show, conference, symposium or job fair
• tours an energy-efficient building to explore passive-solar design and green building materials
• participates in a local, provincial or national contest or competition with a focus on energy
• tours a wind farm or generating station
• volunteers with a non-profit organization focused on energy conservation

Learn more about SHSM program experiential learning and career exploration opportunities.

Reach ahead experiences

The SHSM-Energy must provide students with 1 or more reach ahead experiences. These are opportunities to take the next steps along their chosen pathway – as shown in the following examples:

• apprenticeship: visiting an approved apprenticeship delivery agent in the energy sector
• college: interviewing a college student enrolled in an energy-specific program
• university: observing a university class in an energy-related program
• workplace: interviewing an employee in the energy sector

Learn more about reach ahead experiences.

Sector-partnered experiences (SPEs)

Students engage with a sector partner to learn about energy and how it connects with ICE (innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship), coding and/or math literacy skills.

Learn more about SPEs in SHSM programs.

Careers in the energy sector

These are examples of careers in the energy sector, sorted by the type of postsecondary education or training the careers usually require.

Students can obtain any of the careers listed below through different pathways. For example, "technical sales specialist" appears under the college pathway but may also be achieved by following the university or workplace pathway.

Information and resources

Partnership opportunities

For local labour market opportunities in energy, please contact your school board’s SHSM lead.

The SHSM model

This SHSM’s requirements are unique and geared to the energy sector. However, the design of all SHSM programs follows a consistent model with 5 required components.

Find more information about the components of an SHSM.

Resources

Checklist for planning and delivering an SPE