This guide is for school and school board staff who are planning and delivering SHSM programs.

Overview

There are many steps in planning, developing and launching a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program. This page gives you an overview of them. You will learn more about each step in other sections of this guide.

You don’t need to complete the steps in order. For example, team building, planning and implementation may overlap and feed into one another. You can focus on the steps that are most helpful for your situation. This depends on how prepared your school and school board are to offer SHSM programs.

Many schools and school boards already offer SHSMs. This means they are familiar with the program and have school SHSM teams and sector partnerships in place. In these cases, organizing who to work with may not need as much effort.

If you are working on SHSM programs for the first time, we recommend starting by learning about the program and our policies.

Offering a new SHSM at your school

If you're planning a new SHSM, we recommend that everyone involved refreshes their knowledge of all the steps in this guide.

Modifying your school’s SHSM

If you're refreshing or changing the focus of an existing SHSM, review the all the steps to make sure the SHSM team has:

  • refreshed program knowledge
  • strengthened support at the school and board level
  • assessed your local labour market needs
  • formed SHSM sector partnerships
  • capacity to offer variants of your SHSM

Sustaining your school’s SHSM

If you school already offers an SHSM and you are not making any significant changes, your focus might be on: 

  • evaluating the program
  • sustaining and growing your SHSM

Step 1: Learn about the program

Start by getting familiar with what an SHSM program is and the policies you need to follow. Identify the sectors where:

Review the Ministry of Education’s SHSM policy

Familiarize yourself with our SHSM policy to:

  • know the 5 required components of all SHSM programs
  • understand the structure of individual students’ programs
  • review the classroom and experiential learning opportunities
  • explore different certification delivery models

Learn about the 5 components of SHSM programs.

Explore SHSM sectors approved by the Ministry of Education

As you examine specific SHSMs your school could offer, identify:

  • the kinds of employment opportunities each sector offers students
  • the postsecondary pathways each SHSM might lead to
  • your school's capacity to provide the required components and credits

Learn about our 19 SHSMs.

Step 2: Organize who you will work with

In this stage, you will:

  • identify the members of your school SHSM team and stakeholder organizations you will be working closely with
  • develop partnerships

If you are continuing or modifying an existing SHSM, you may already have a team and partnerships in place.

Establish a school SHSM team

This team oversees all aspects of program delivery, including enrolment, timetabling, student tracking and monitoring program success. 

When building your school’s SHSM team:

  • determine a champion to lead SHSM implementation
  • identify and recruit specific school or board staff who will be critical to the program's success

If you are re-focusing your SHSM due to local labour market changes, consider if your school SHSM team needs new members. This can help make new SHSM program variants a success.

Find SHSM sector advisors

Sector advisors work closely with your school’s SHSM team. They can help you:

  • ensure that stakeholders value your SHSM
  • align students' classroom experiences with workplace expectations
  • identify reliable service providers for certifications and training
  • provide a high-quality learning experience that supports future success

If you are re-focusing your SHSM, consider adding sector advisors with expertise in the new focus area.

Build supportive partnerships

Partnerships with school boards, postsecondary institutions, the community, business and industry sectors are crucial to your SHSM’s success. 

Here are some partnership strategies:

  • determine what partnerships you need to make your SHSM effective and sustainable
  • partner with other schools or boards to share resources
  • consider opportunities to partner with local colleges, training centres and universities
  • identify provincial and local sector organizations that can support your SHSM and provide certification and training opportunities
  • choose employers and organizations that can offer co-op placements, reach ahead experiences and sector-partnered experiences

Learn about building teams and partnerships to start an SHSM.

Step 3: Plan for each new SHSM program

In this step, you will:

  • decide what each new SHSM program at your school looks like
  • develop an implementation plan for each program
  • submit proposals for new SHSM programs to us for approval

Considerations when creating an SHSM plan

When developing your plan for a new SHSM program:

  • determine the key factors such as the SHSM sector, the SHSM objectives and the resources you need to plan, implement and evaluate the program
  • choose the program content, delivery model and pathways that will provide a high-quality learning experience valued by employers
  • identify all people and stakeholders who should be involved in the process

Choose which SHSM to offer

When choosing your new SHSM(s):

  • select SHSM(s) that will interest students in your school and region
  • consider the economic prospects in your region
  • determine how to secure the support from the economic sector and community
  • identify the SHSM(s) that your school and board have the capacity to offer

Get Ministry of Education approval

All new SHSM program proposals are submitted through the Education Data Collection Solution (EDCS) SHSM online reporting tool.

Submitting proposals is a school board responsibility. Talk to your principal for details about your school board’s submission process.

Timing

This is an annual process. Submissions are usually due in late December.

Learn what your school SHSM team needs to do when planning for SHSMs.

Step 4: Implement your program

In this step, you will launch your SHSM program by creating processes to register students, create timetables and provide experiential learning opportunities. You will also promote the program to students, parents and the community.

Support all SHSM pathways

Ensure that students and parents understand:

  • all the pathways to successful completion of your SHSM(s)
  • the choices available to students
  • how to navigate the pathways

As you implement your SHSM(s):

  • identify the best approaches to registration, timetabling and enrolment
  • consider accommodations needed for students with special education needs

Learn more about developing SHSM pathways.

Promote and develop the SHSM

Build awareness of and enrolment in your SHSM(s) by:

  • informing students and parents of their benefits
  • updating postsecondary partners and sector partners regularly

Sustain and grow the SHSM

Help your SHSM succeed by:

  • building knowledge and skills among school staff
  • encouraging school staff to feel a shared sense of responsibility for the success of the SHSM and to work as a team
  • identifying who should be involved in your SHSM professional learning community

Learn more about implementing your SHSM program.

Step 5: Program evaluation

In this step, you will create processes to measure the outcomes, success and future of your program.

Measure program success

When determining the student management systems and reporting processes you need, decide how you will regularly measure program success by considering:

  • which indicators you will use to measure success
  • who you will consult in the ongoing evaluation
  • how you will use data to continuously improve your SHSM(s) and to respond to changes in:
    • student needs
    • the economics of your SHSM sector(s)

Learn more about ongoing SHSM program evaluation.