Specialist

High Skills Major SHSM

A Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) is a Ministry approved specialized program that allows students to focus their learning on a specific economic sector while meeting the requirements to graduate from secondary school.
It also assists in their transition after graduation to
apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace.

Key Benefits of a Specialist High Skills Major

Pursuing an SHSM helps students to:

• • Customize their secondary school education to suit their interests and talents.

  • Develop specialized knowledge and skills.

  • Earn credits that post secondary educational institutions and the sector recognize.

  • Gain sector-recognized certification and career-relevant training.

  • Identify, explore and refine career goals and make informed decisions about their future.

  • Remain flexible, with the option to shift between pathways, should their goals and plans change.

Students who successfully complete an SHSM receive:

• • An Ontario Secondary School Diploma with an embossed red seal.

  • An SHSM record documenting his/her achievement.

  • Formal recognition on his/her Ontario Student Transcript.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

St. Thomas Catholic Secondary School, Lindsay current offers the following SHSM's:

• Agriculture

• Aviation and Aerospace

• Construction

• Health and Wellness

• Hospitality and Tourism

More information about SHSM programs  and the benefits can be found on the 

Ministry of Ontario Specialist High Skills Major site

STA SHSM TEACHER LEAD:  David Saunders      dsaunders@pvnccdsb.on.ca

Agriculture

A SHSM in Agriculture provides different opportunities for students to explore the many careers within Agriculture.  The goal of the program is to expand students’ learning beyond the primary focus of farming and examine all facets of agriculture.  The agricultural sector includes fields of work in a variety of professions such as veterinary, greenhouse, welding, farm management, soil sciences, small businesses, etc.  Our program and COOP placements in a strong agricultural community will give students the opportunity to prepare for these and more modern day careers related to agriculture. 

For information regarding the STA Agriculture SHSM, follow this LINK

To view our slide show regarding the Agriculture SHSM, follow this LINK

For further information and for pathway requirements, please see:

Ministry of Ontario Agriculture SHSM Policy and Implementation Guide

Aviation and Aerospace

The ever-changing nature of aviation and aerospace, the complexity of supply chain dynamics, and the accelerated pace of change in the aerospace sector provide a variety of career opportunities for Ontario students.

The foundation of the program is a Seneca College aeronautics course, which takes place online once per week after school led by a Seneca instructor who also is a commercial pilot. These after-school sessions are augmented by question and answer sessions with professionals from the aviation industry. 

Students taking the Aerospace Specialist High Skills Major Program (SHSM) benefit from rich conversations with aviation professionals such as Air Canada pilots, aviation systems engineers, an industrial drone operator and instructor, a modern aircraft inventor, a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Hercules pilot, RCAF avionic mechanics, and a retired fighter jet pilot. 

The program includes two field trips that take place at the Peterborough Airport and at Canadian Forces Base Trenton. These days are filled with hands-on flight simulator experiences and learning from various aviation personnel. The climax of each field trip is a flight. At the Peterborough Airport students finish the day with an introductory flight in a Cessna 4 seater plane. The trip to CFB Trenton last May included the amazing experience of flying as a group in a Hercules.

Core industries in this sector include:

• maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for aircraft, engines, avionics, systems, and equipment

• design and manufacturing of commercial aircraft, engines, systems, avionics, equipment, and components

• flight operations (e.g., pilot training, airport services, air traffic control, and space and equipment handling)

For further information and for pathway requirements, please see:

Ministry of Ontario Aviation and Aerospace SHSM Policy and Implementation Guide

Lead teachers: Matt Bonisteel, mbonisteel@pvnccdsb.on.ca

Construction

The Construction SHSM program is a practical and effective way to provide students with skills and construction sector training that assist with the transition of students from secondary school to apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace. The construction sector is a growing and rewarding career area and includes fields of work in carpentry, home building, contracting, electrical, flooring, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, roofing, brick and stone masonry, demolition, and architecture and design.

For further information and for pathway requirements, please see:

Ministry of Ontario Construction SHSM Policy and Implementation Guide

Health and Wellness

The SHSM–Health and Wellness enables 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 may be designed to have a particular focus – for example, on health care, fitness, or child care and family services. This focus is achieved through the selection of the four major credits in the bundle. 

For further information and for pathway requirements, please see:

Ministry of Ontario Health and Wellness SHSM Policy and Implementation Guide

Hospitality and Tourism

The SHSM Hospitality program is a practical and effective way to provide students with skills and hospitality and tourism sector training that will assist in the transition from secondary school to apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace. The hospitality and tourism sector is a growing and rewarding career area and includes fields of work in hairstyling / cosmetology, special events coordination, public health, food and beverage industry, dietician, hotel/resort manager and chef.

For further information and for pathway requirements, please see:

Ministry of Ontario Hospitality and Tourism SHSM Policy and Implementation Guide