Press Release
This September, Fort Frances High School will offer a Specialist High Skills Major in Manufacturing (SHSM).
This can introduce students to skilled trades and professional fields such as engineering, welding, pipefitting, electrical, manufacturing, and law-related areas before they graduate.
Schools require community business partners to provide these opportunities.
The SHSM program, first launched in September, 2006, is part of the Ministry of Education’s “Student Success Strategy” initiative, which focuses on expanding quality learning opportunities and supporting success for all students.
It is a ministry-approved specialized program that allows students to focus their learning on a specific economic sector while meeting the requirements for their secondary school diploma (OSSD).
This career-focused program also is designed to help prepare students to make the transition from secondary school to apprenticeship training, college, university, or the workplace.
Currently, 20,000 students participate in SHSM and the projection for 2011/12 is 23,000.
Ninety-five percent of students who have participated in the program received all of their credits.
These students are expected to graduate with a Specialist High Skills Major designation seal on their diploma and transcript.
Because this is a specialized program, students also will receive a SHSM Record that will outline the sector-recognized certifications that they earned, such as WHMIS, CPR, Health & Safety, or any other certifications chosen by the local school to support the SHSM offered.
Students also are required to earn co-operative education credits that will demonstrate authentic learning experiences in a workplace setting.
Students also will have the opportunity to explore experiential learning and “Reach Ahead” activities, such as field trips, competitions, industry tours, or job shadowing.
Through SHSM, students begin to establish local relationships and networks in their chosen field.
Year after year, the business communities in Fort Frances, Atikokan, and Rainy River open their doors to Co-op students to offer them the opportunity to “try on a career.”
“Co-op placements give students a realistic look at the field of work they are interested in,” said Co-operative education/OYAP co-ordinator Nancy Gillon of Fort Frances High School.
“The experience can confirm that they are well-suited to that career, and continue on with their post-secondary education secure in the fact that they have made the correct choice,” she added.
Employers interested in participating in this new program start-up can contact Gillon at 274-7747 ext. 253 or via e-mail at ngillon@mail.rrdsb.com, or Devon MacKinnon, regional “Passport to Prosperity” co-ordinator, at 1-807-223-3813 or p2p@ntab.on.ca
For more than a decade, the “Passport to Prosperity” campaign has supported educators and employers in developing experiential learning opportunities for high school students.
It is a province-wide campaign that seeks to provide communities with the tools and resources to respond to their local workforce development needs and contribute to the growth of the local economy.
Today, more than 40,000 employers across Ontario have recognized the value of incorporating student programs into their human resources strategies.
