Information and communications technology
This guide is for school and school board staff who are planning and delivering SHSM programs.
Overview
The Specialist High Skills Major in Information and Communications Technology (SHSM–Information and Communications Technology) helps students to 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.
This SHSM program has 5 required components:
- bundle of 9 credits
- certifications and training recognized by the information and communications technology 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–Information and Communications Technology can focus on a specific area (for example, communications systems, computer systems or software and digital media) 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–Information and Communications Technology 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 information and communications technology-specific knowledge and skills.
These 4 credits:
- can be any combination of Grade 11 and Grade 12 credits
- may include up to 3 information and communications technology-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 information and communications technology 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
- arts credit
- additional major credit
- additional information and communications technology-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 information and communications technology 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 information and communications technology SHSM provide students with real learning experiences in an information and communications technology workplace setting. This lets students refine, extend, apply and practise:
- knowledge and skills they learned in the cooperative education curriculum
- information and communications technology-specific knowledge and skills learned through their SHSM program
Credits | Apprenticeship training Grades 11–12 | College Grades 11–12 | University Grades 11–12 | Workplace Grades 11–12 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Major credits May include up to 3 co-op credits related to the sector (this is in addition to the 2 required co-op credits) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
English may include a CLA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Mathematics may include a CLA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Arts, business studies or science may include a CLA May be substituted with 1 additional major credit or 1 co-op credit (this is in addition to the 2 required co-op credits) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Cooperative education | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Total number of credits | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
Certifications and training
Students must complete 3 compulsory and 3 elective certifications and/or training courses/programs that are recognized by the information and communications technology 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 (such as website design, coding, digital lighting, search engine optimization)
- advanced training in a technology
- anti-oppression and allyship training
- basic electrical safety
- CISCO networking
- computer hardware
- counterfeit detection
- customer service
- electronics – basic
- elevated work platforms
- ergonomics
- fall protection
- first aid/CPR/AED awareness
- health and safety – basic
- infection control
- intellectual property
- interfacing equipment
- Internet security
- ladder safety training
- leadership skills
- lighting and sound equipment maintenance
- lockout/tagging
- network cabling
- network configuration
- portfolio development
- project management
- recording equipment
- sector-specific software 1
- sector-specific software 2
- specialized skills training program/competition
- technical support
- 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 information and communications technology sector might include instances where an SHSM student:
- observes a co-op student one-on-one at a placement in the ICT sector (an example of job twinning)
- shadows an ICT sector worker for a day (an example of job shadowing)
- works with a member of an ICT industry association or professional for 1 or 2 weeks (an example of work experience)
- attends a sector or trade show, conference, symposium or a job fair
- participates in a local, provincial or national contest or competition with a focus on ICT
- tours a local television/film studio or network monitoring centre
Learn more about SHSM program experiential learning and career exploration opportunities.
Reach ahead experiences
The SHSM-Information and Communications Technology 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 ICT sector
- college: interviewing a college student enrolled in ICT-specific program
- university: observing a university class in an ICT-related program
- workplace: interviewing an employee in the ICT sector
Learn more about reach ahead experiences.
Sector-partnered experiences (SPEs)
Students engage with a sector partner to learn about information and communications technology 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 information and communications technology sector
These are examples of careers in the information and communications technology sector, sorted by the type of postsecondary education or training the careers usually require.
Apprenticeship training
- computer network technicians
- telecommunications installation and repair workers
- telecommunications line and cable workers
- user support technicians
College
- audio and video recording technicians
- broadcast technicians
- electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
- electronic service technicians (household and business equipment)
- film and video camera operators
- graphic designers and illustrators
- information systems testing technicians
- railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators
- user support technicians
University
- computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
- computer programmers and interactive media developers
- information systems analysts and consultants
- software engineers and designers
- technical sales specialists – wholesale trade
Workplace
- desktop publishing operators and related occupations
- other trades helpers and labourers
- residential and commercial installers and servicers
- retail salespersons
Information and resources
Partnership opportunities
For local labour market opportunities in information and communications technology, please contact your school board’s SHSM lead.
The SHSM model
This SHSM’s requirements are unique and geared to the information and communications technology 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.