SPECIALIST HIGH SKILLS MAJOR Landscape Ontario EXPO
Connecting Educators Workshop Aldo Cianfrini
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION Student Success/Learning to 18
Specialist High Skills Major
A Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) is a ministry-
approved specialized career-focused program that
allows students to acquire technical knowledge and
skills that are of particular importance in specific
economic sectors as they work towards meeting the
requirements for an OSSD.
2006-07
Year 1
2007-08
Year 2
2008-09
Year 3
2009-10
Year 4
2010-11
Year 5
2011-12
Year 6
2012-13
Year 7
2013-14
Year 8
600 students in 27 programs in
44 schools
6000 students in 153 programs in
212 schools
14,000 students in over 480 programs in
335 schools
20,000 students in over 740 programs in
430 schools
28,000 students in over 1000 programs in
540 schools
34,000 students in over 1300 programs in over 630 schools
38,000 students in over 1,500 programs in over 640 schools
42,000 students in over 1,600 programs in over 660 schools
Sectors • Arts and Culture • Construction • Hospitality and
Tourism • Manufacturing • Agriculture • Forestry • Horticulture and
Landscaping • Mining
Addition of: • Business • Environment • Health and
Wellness • Transportation
Addition of: • Information &
Communication Technology
• Justice, Community Safety and
Emergency Services
Addition of: • Energy • Aviation and
Aerospace
Addition of: • Sports • Non-profit
No new sectors Food Processing No new sectors
Funding $2.7M
$7.95M
$13.9M
$16M
$17.45M
$22.8M
$25.3M
$25.3M
SHSM Programs by Sector 2013-14
Province – Approximately 1,600 programs
2012-13 Board Reports and Projections
SHSM Agriculture Sector
SHSM Horticulture and Landscaping
Sector
SHSM Forestry Sector
Policy: overall and by sector
Implementation: provides schools and school boards with tools and strategies in planning a
SHSM program and includes
information about:
• SHSM Advisory Committees
• Which SHSM programs to offer
• Delivery models
• Marketing and promotion strategies
• Partnerships
Resources: also available online
www.Ontario.ca/SHSM
SHSM Policy and Implementation
Document
Essential Skills
and work
habits/OSP
Bundle of
Credits
(8-10 credits)
Certifications
and Training
Programs
Experiential
Learning & Career
Exploration
“Reach Ahead”
Experiences
Specialist High Skills Majors
Five Components
1. BUNDLE OF CREDITS
Contextualized Learning Activities (CLA) in the „other
required credits‟ link this learning to the sector.
TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION ENROLMENT BY:
PROGRAM AREA
Program areas
2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Number of
Enrolment
Records
% of
total Number of
Enrolment
Records
% of
total Number of
Enrolment
Records
% of total
Communications Technology 62,206 16% 69,261 17% 68,463 17%
Computer Technology 6,336 2% 19,367 5% 19,260 5%
Construction Technology 62,130 16% 64,467 16% 63,638 16%
Exploring Technologies 74,489 19% 52,726 13% 48,882 12%
Green Industries/Agriculture 2,106 1% 5,691 1% 5,668 1%
Hairstyling and Aesthetics 0 0% 17,320 4% 18,265 5%
Healthcare 31,323 8% 20,741 5% 20,822 5%
Hospitality and Tourism 40,878 10% 43,688 11% 45,359 11%
Manufacturing Technology 30,015 8% 26,940 7% 26,132 6%
Technological Design 32,788 8% 31,306 8% 29,476 7%
Transportation Technology 56,232 14% 58,159 14% 57,093 14%
2. Sector Recognized Certifications & Training
Certificates are added to the student’s portfolio
• Annual opportunities to nominate
certifications/training programs as endorsed by
the program's sector advisory committee (…a
required component?)
• How many of you sit on a sector advisory
committee for a school in your community?
• Do you know that we specifically provide
funding to boards to establish and cultivate
advisory committees?
The Advantage Ontario report by the Jobs
and Prosperity Council (December 2012)
recommended that an entrepreneurship
focus be added to every SHSM program.
Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship
(ICE) Training Pilots
Innovation, Creativity and
Entrepreneurship (ICE) Training
Pilots
• 12 boards are participating in piloting a proposed new
certification/training program for SHSM students in 11
sectors
• These pilots are being conducted in semester 1
• In semester 2 consultations will be conducted with pilot
boards
• Results of stakeholder, student and teacher feedback
surveys, along with results of the consultations will be
shared with all leads
• These will inform the implementation strategy
• Planned activities that take place outside of the regular classroom and related to the SHSM sector
• Activities match student goals and interests • Give students the opportunities to explore, observe, participate in and
reflect on a variety of sector-specific experiences and careers • Increase student awareness of, and develop Essential Skills and work
habits required in the sector and have their performance of these skills and habits accessed and documented
3. Experiential Learning & Career
Exploration Activities
• Opportunities for students to experience their selected post secondary pathway
• May include: – Auditing a college or university class/lecture specific to a SHSM
sector
– Attending a campus tours (Red Carpet Day) or industrial centre
– Interviewing a skilled trades person
– Participating in or visiting skills competitions
– Attending a conference/event held in the sector
– Completing one or more ministry-approved dual credits in a secondary school/college program
4. Reach Ahead Opportunities
SHSM programs help students develop the Essential Skills and work habits important for success in work, learning and life.
• Students learn about these skills and see how they are used to perform job tasks in occupations related to their SHSM
• Students assess, practice & build, and demonstrate their skills in the classroom (OSP learning activities and CLAs)
• Students create an OSP Work Plan and employers record their skills demonstrations during cooperative education placements
• Students update their OSP Tracker and use it, along with the OSP Reflection Sheet, to plan further skills development
• This skills information is useful to students in developing their Individual Pathways Plan (IPP)
5. OSP is a Planning and Documentation Tool
SHSM Record
‘major’ and ‘other
required’ credits
Certifications and
training programs
‘Reach Ahead’ activities
Use of the Ontario
Skills Passport (OSP)
SHSM Sector
Principal’s signature
93%
95%
50% 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% 95% 100%
SHSM
NON SHSM
Earned vs Attempted - All Credits
SHSM Compared to Non-SHSM Students
2011-12 OnSIS Data
Provincial Red Seal Completion by Sector
2012-13
SHSM Web Site:
www.Ontario.ca/SHSM
On-Line Free - “One stop shop” Sharing SHSM news, events,
resources and discussions
What Difference Does an
SHSM Make for Students?
OCAS & OUAC Now Tracking SHSM Students
OCAS & OUAC Now Tracking SHSM Students
St. Mary‟s University in Nova Scotia offers a
scholarship for an Ontario SHSM student annually
Lakehead University SHSM Incentive Program
Template that boards can use with colleges and
universities
Specialist High Skills Major Entrance Award
The University of Guelph-Humber will award a $500 scholarship to 25
eligible students who have completed a program-related SHSM. These
include the following SHSM Red Seal diplomas:
• Arts & Culture
• Business
• Health and Wellness
• Justice, Community, Safety & Emergency Services
• Non-Profit
All eligible applicants, who have completed the Specialist High Skills
Major are automatically considered for this award. No application is
necessary.
Ontario Agricultural College: 3 x $1,000 SHSM
Scholarships
Q & A