The Specialist High Skills Major is a program which gives students a focus in their senior high school years that leads to all post-secondary destinations (apprenticeship, college, university, and work). A student must take two Grade 11 and two Grade 12 courses in a specialized area, and a co-operative education course. It also involves contextualized units in Math and English where the focus is in the specific sector.
Students will also have the opportunity to explore experiential learning and reach ahead activities such as field trips, competitions, etc. At the conclusion of the program, students will receive a special Red Seal diploma and transcript as evidence of their completion of a Specialist High Skills Major. Check out http://www.haltonpathways.ca for more information.
Our school offers SHSM courses in the following sectors:
- Construction Design
- Justice, Community Safety, and Emergency Services
- Information & Communications Technology (ICT)
- Fitness & Sports Leadership
- Non-profit
For more information visit the School to Career Website or contact Student Services.
For any interested students and parents, please have a look at the following video for more information on SHSM
Construction Design
The SHSM–Construction enables students to build a foundation of sector-focused knowledge and skills before entering apprenticeship training, college, university, or an entry-level position in the workplace.
Program Overview
There are four categories of work in the construction industry. Each requires the use of different equipment and workers with a variety of skills. Depending on the career chosen, a graduate could work in any or all of these categories:
- new home building and renovation, including building, remodelling, or renovating houses and apartment buildings
- heavy industrial construction, including building industrial facilities such as cement, automotive, chemical, or power plants, refineries, and oil-sands installations
- institutional and commercial construction, including building commercial and institutional buildings and structures such as stadiums, schools, hospitals, grain elevators, and swimming pools
- civil engineering construction, including engineering projects such as highways, dams, water and sewer lines, power and communication lines, and bridges.
If you are interested in the Construction Design SHSM please contact Mr. Costigan – costiganp@hcdsb.org
Fitness and Sport Leadership
Why is this so desirable for high school students?
Program Overview
The Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program in Sports Leadership, Fitness and Performance gives students an opportunity to specialize, gain qualifications, and plan a career pathway in various areas of the Sport sector while still in high school. The SHSM Program has a number of required components, designed to give students a “head start” to pursue post-secondary opportunities in each of the identified sectors, valuing apprenticeship, college, university and direct entry into the world of work.
The SHSM Experience
- Gain an awareness of career opportunities in the Sport sector
- Participate in workshops and sessions with industry professionals
- Incorporate treatment techniques for injury rehabilitation and prevention
- Learn a variety of kinesiology, sport medicine and athletic therapy applications
- Attain practical certifications in coaching, training and officiating
- Develop transferrable skills compatible with multiple pathways to all post-secondary destinations
SHSM Fitness and Sport Leadership Application
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) – Media, Programming & Engineering
Program Overview
The Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program in Information and Communication Technology gives students an opportunity to specialize, gain qualifications, and plan a career pathway in various areas of the ICT sector while still in high school. The SHSM Program has a number of required components, designed to give students a “head start” to pursue post-secondary opportunities in each of the identified sectors, valuing apprenticeship, college, university and direct entry into the world of work.
The Information and Communication Technology sector offers students opportunities to get inspired and use their unique skills and abilities in careers in media arts, digital photography and film production, computer science, programming, engineering and many other creative areas.
The SHSM Experience
- Learn a variety of digital media techniques
- Participate in workshops with industry professionals
- Develop ICT skills in a variety of media
- Incorporate digital technologies into the creative process
- Learn a variety of computer science and engineering applications
- Develop transferrable skills compatible with multiple pathways to all post-secondary destinations
If you are interested in ICT SHSM please contact Mr. Galli – gallim@hcdsb.org
Justice, Community Safety & Emergency Services – First Responders
Program Overview
The SHSM–Justice, Community Safety, and Emergency Services enables students to build a foundation of sector-focusd knowledge and skills before graduating and entering apprenticeship training, college, university, or an entry-level position in the workplace. Where local circumstances allow, boards may elect to offer one or more variants of the SHSM in a given sector, each with a particular area of focus. This SHSM may be designed to have a particular focus – for example, on legal services, policing and private security services, the armed forces, or correctional services. This focus is achieved through the selection of the four major credits in the bundle.
Who would be interested?
The First Responders SHSM is for any student who is interested in a career that helps communities stay safe. Potential careers include but are not limited to: Fire Fighter, Police Officer, Paramedic, Lawyer, Judge, and Forensic Criminologist.
If you are interested in joining the First Responders SHSM please contact Mr. Capobianco – capobiancom@hcdsb.org
Non Profit
Program Overview
The Non Profit Sector offers a range of careers that are dynamic, engaging, and rewarding. Whether in the fields of art, culture, education, the environment, information technology, health care, social development, or sport, countless career paths are available for people who share the sector’s common vision:
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The focus of this program is to explore the pathways, opportunities and leadership skills usually reserved for profit activities, applied as a viable alternative within the Non Profit Sector of the economy. The Specialist High Skills Major Non Profit will draw upon multi-disciplinary skill sets, coupled with real world experiential
requirements within the local community as well as internationally.
Who would be interested in the program?
The Non Profit SHSM is for students with a passion for promoting personal and social change who would like the opportunity to pursue a career in law and justice, public service, journalism and media studies, international affairs and development, political advocacy, business, finance and administration.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Mrs. Laferriere @ laferrierem@hcdsb.org.
Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM)