Student Success/Learning to 18

Specialist High Skills Major

Resources for Teachers

A Specialist High Skills Major lets students focus on a potential career that matches their skills and interests.

Each major is a bundle of classroom courses, workplace experiences and sector certifications. Students who complete a major receive a special designation on their high school diploma.

High school students can major in:

• Agriculture
• Arts and Culture
• Business
• Community Safety and Emergency Services
• Construction
• Environment
• Forestry
• Health and Wellness
• Hospitality and Tourism
• Horticulture and Landscaping
• Information and Communications Technology
• Manufacturing
• Mining
• Transportation

To access school address information, please check School and Board Finder database.

• See complete list of Specialist High Skills Majors including board and school names (2008-2009). [PDF, 44 KB]

For example, students enrolled in a construction major will take:

• Four construction "major" courses
• An English course and a math course using construction examples
• A cooperative education placement
• Training for sector-recognized certifications in health and safety, first aid and handling hazardous materials.

All school boards with secondary schools offer at least one major.

Resources

• Specialist High Skills Major Fact Sheet (PDF, 168 KB)
• Implementation Guide, 2007-2008 (PDF, 1.04 MB)

Guides For Specialist High Skills Majors (2007-2008):

• Agriculture (PDF, 1.03 MB)
• Arts and Culture (PDF, 1.04 MB)
• Business (PDF, 1.02 MB)
• Construction (PDF, 1.12 MB)
• Environment (PDF, 969 KB)
• Forestry (PDF, 965 KB)
• Health and Wellness (PDF, 1.04 MB)
• Horticulture and Landscaping (PDF, 982 KB)
• Hospitality and Tourism (PDF, 1.09 MB)
• Manufacturing (PDF, 1.08 MB)
• Mining (PDF, 984 KB)
• Transportation (PDF, 1.03 MB)

Workplace Safety Documents:

• Live Safe! Work Smart!
• Passport to Safety
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Coverage for Students in Work Education Programs (PPM 76A)

Other Resources:

• Ontario Prospects:
• Student Career Planning Guide (PDF, 1.53 MB)
• Teacher User Guide (PDF, 504 KB)
• Ontario Skills Passport

Print publications can be ordered from Publications Ontario.