Catholic Board Receives $450,000 to Advance its Specialist High Skills Major Program

Waterloo Region - The Ministry of Education has given the go ahead to announce the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) funding for next year.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board is continuing all the SHSM majors from this year plus adding Information Communications Technology at three schools and Arts and Culture at one school. We have been given a ministry grant of approximately $450,000 to support the SHSM initiative next year.

More information on the WCDSB’s SHSM initiative can be found at www.HighSkills.ca

SHSM Majors offered at each of our schools are shown below.

ST. MARY’S HIGH SCHOOL

s Construction

s Hospitality & Tourism

s Health & Wellness

s Information and Communications

s Manufacturing

s Transportation

MONSIGNOR DOYLE C.S.S

s Construction

s Hospitality & Tourism

s Transportation

RESURRECTION C.S.S

s Arts & Culture

s Hospitality & Tourism

s Information and Communications

s Transportation

ST. BENEDICT C.S.S.

s Construction

s Hospitality & Tourism

s Manufacturing

s Transportation

ST. DAVID C.S.S.

s Hospitality & Tourism

s Information & Communications

s Transportation

Helping More Students Succeed: Ontario Government Adds Two New Sectors To Successful Majors Program

Ontario is adding two new sectors to its successful Specialist High Skills Major program to help even more students reach their full potential.

Starting this fall, the Specialist High Skills Major program will include Aviation/Aerospace and Energy. These new majors will help students train for careers in aircraft maintenance, airport operations, aeronautical engineering, alternative and traditional energy generation, and energy transmission and conservation. Students learn on the job and in the classroom and earn industry certifications, including first aid and CPR qualifications.

Programs like the Ontario’s Specialist High Skills Major are helping more kids graduate from high school. For example, 36,000 additional students have achieved their high school diploma with help from the government’s Student Success programs since 2003-04. This program is helping more students graduate by allowing them to tailor their high school experience to suit their individual strengths, goals and interests.

“We are committed to helping our students succeed in school and beyond. By expanding our Specialist High Skills Major for the fourth year in a row, this is one way we are helping more students achieve success.”
—Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Education

“Along with our partners in the Ontario Aerospace Council, Mohawk College and other sector employers, as well as our co-op employers at the Hamilton International Airport, we are proud to offer students at Ancaster High School the exciting opportunity to major in this sector. The program aligns with the growing demand in the industry in the Hamilton area.”
—Dr. Chris Spence, director of education, Hamilton Wentworth District School Board

Roughly 20,000 students are expected to enrol in one of the 16 majors next year, compared with 600 students just three years ago.

Specialist High Skills Majors are available in about 430 high schools and at every school board in the province with a high school.

Since 2003-04, 36,000 additional students have achieved their high school diploma with help from the government’s Student Success programs.