Specialist High Skills Major
What is a Specialist High Skills Major?
A Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) is a ministry-approved specialized program that allows students to focus their knowledge and skills and to obtain certifications recognized in specific sectors, as they work towards meeting the requirements for their high school diploma. Fact Sheet
FOR SHSM Programs, we now have 18 programs across 11 sectors at 3 of our high schools:
# |
School |
|
Sector |
1 |
Bishop Macdonell |
1 |
|
2 |
Bishop Macdonell |
2 |
|
3 |
Bishop Macdonell |
3 |
|
4 |
Bishop Macdonell |
4 |
|
5 |
Our Lady of Lourdes |
5 |
|
6 |
Our Lady of Lourdes |
6 |
|
7 |
Our Lady of Lourdes |
7 |
|
8 |
Our Lady of Lourdes |
8 |
|
9 |
Our Lady of Lourdes |
9 |
|
10 |
Our Lady of Lourdes |
10 |
|
11 |
St James |
5 |
|
12 |
St James |
6 |
|
13 |
St James |
7 |
|
14 |
St James |
8 |
|
15 |
St James |
3 |
|
16 |
St James |
4 |
|
17 |
St James |
11 |
|
18 |
St James |
10 |
Programs are offered in the following areas:
How Will the Specialist High Skills Major Benefit Students?
- An SHSM allows a student to experience a range of customized, career-focused learning opportunities. It enables a student to take courses in an area of interest related to a particular sector while working towards a high school diploma.
- The focused learning experiences of an SHSM program give students the opportunity to explore, identify, and refine career goals and make informed decisions related to postsecondary education, training, and next steps towards a career.
- The experiential learning opportunities provided in an SHSM enable students to refine their skills and improve their work habits, gain confidence in their ability to succeed, and see the connections between their studies, the real world, and their future careers. Students are also able to begin to establish relationships and networks in their chosen fields.
- Students who graduate with a SHSM can look forward to improved prospects after secondary school because of the recognition of and support of the SHSM framework in the postsecondary destination of their choice, whether it be apprenticeship training, a college or university program or the workplace.