What Is the Ontario Specialist High Skills Majors 2 Program?

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1 Ontario Ministry of Education Specialist High Skills Majors Helping all students succeed through innovation and partnership Institute of Public Administration of Canada August 2013

2 Specialist High Skills Majors 2 Executive Summary Not all students learn in the same way. The Ontario Ministry of Education recognized this in 2003, faced with a high drop-out rate and stagnant student achievement results. The system was working well for students entering university but other students were left feeling uninspired, under-valued and under-served. The Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM) program is the result of rethinking how education is delivered. The SHSM is a pathways program that helps students customize their education to suit their interests and needs by focusing their learning on a particular economic sector and a potential future career. The SHSM has become a signature initiative in Ontario s education system that has contributed to its success in raising the provincial graduation rate from 68% to 83% since Challenge: How to reach all students A major research report commissioned by the government in 2000 showed that while Ontario high schools were meeting the needs of the 33% of students who chose to attend university after high school, students who went on to college, apprenticeship training or the workplace were under-valued and under-served. At that time, almost 50% of students leaving high school went directly to the workplace.

3 Specialist High Skills Majors 3 Provincial student achievement results were stagnating: Only 54% of elementary students were at `B level or higher Only 68% of secondary students were graduating in 5 years Over 30% of students were leaving high school without an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Ontario s challenge was to increase the number of students earning the diploma and change perceptions to value all four pathways college, university, apprenticeship training or the workplace. Strengthening programming for students who were not planning to attend university was a key element to providing more meaningful educational experiences and keeping students, who might otherwise drop out, engaged and progressing towards graduation. Solution: Relevant programs to keep students engaged The solution required rethinking how education is delivered and how to better meet the needs of all students. Rather than lowering the bar for some students, it instead created an enhanced pathways program that appealed to all students. An Innovative Approach to Learning The SHSM program offers students a way to tailor their secondary school education to their interests and strengths. In an SHSM, students focus their learning on a specific economic sector while meeting the secondary school graduation requirements. The program prepares students to make the transition into apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace. One of the major innovations of the SHSM is that students focus on an economic sector while still in secondary school which allows them to explore careers, gain specialized skills on the job with employers, and gain valuable industry certifications and experience. The SHSM has also changed the culture in secondary schools by requiring these students to have some of their other courses contextualized to their SHSM

4 Specialist High Skills Majors 4 sector. Secondary teachers of SHSM students are talking to each other about how to connect their subject content with student needs as the focus. A New Way to Mark Achievement The SHSM program distinguishes students who have completed the required components by indicating their achievement on the standard high school diploma. Students who earn the SHSM receive the Ontario Secondary School Diploma with an embossed red seal indicating their accomplishment. Building Skills for Future Success in a Changing Economy The keystone of the SHSM policy is connecting high school learning with the skills and knowledge that employers need. There are currently SHSMs for 19 economic sectors. SHSM Sector Offerings in Arts and Culture Aviation and Aerospace Agriculture Business Construction Energy Environment Food Processing Forestry Health and Wellness Horticulture and Landscaping Hospitality and Tourism Information and Communications Technology Justice, Community Safety and Emergency Services Manufacturing Mining Non-profit Sports Transportation

5 Specialist High Skills Majors 5 SHSM programs help students: Customize their secondary school education to suit their interests and talents Develop specialized knowledge and skills Earn credits recognized by postsecondary institutions and the sector Gain sector-recognized certification and career-relevant training Identify, explore and refine career goals Make informed decisions about their future Record the development of Essential Skills and work habits Remain flexible, with the option to shift between pathways, should their goals and plans change. Five required components of a Specialist High Skills Major All SHSM programs must include the following components. 1. A bundle of 8-10 Grade 11 and Grade 12 credits including: a. 4 major credits providing sector-specific knowledge and skills b. 2-4 other required credits from the Ontario curriculum, in which some expectations are met through sector-contextualized learning activities c. 2 cooperative education credits that provide learning experiences in a sector-specific workplace or at a postsecondary education institutions 2. Industry-recognized certifications and/or training 3. Experiential learning and career exploration activities within the sector 4. Reach ahead experiences connected with the student s chosen postsecondary pathway 5. recording the development of Essential Skills and work habits

6 Specialist High Skills Majors 6 Consultations and Partnership Key Success Factors Prior to launching each new SHSM sector, the Ministry consulted with members of the sector such as employers, sector-specific associations, organized labour, and postsecondary education institutions about the skills and knowledge needed in the sector. These consultations help ensure that the programs are authentic, offer rich learning experiences, and stay relevant. When school boards apply to the ministry to offer a new SHSM, they must show that there are local labour market opportunities available for graduates in that sector. Then students can see real opportunities for future careers in their community and local employers have an available workforce. These factors will help the community to thrive. Impressive Results Embraced by students, parents and educators, the SHSM program has grown rapidly since its introduction in The initiative started with 27 programs and 600 students enrolled in eight SHSM sectors. For the school year, there will be 1,600 SHSM programs with 42,000 students enrolled in programs in over 660 schools, more than three-quarters of all secondary schools in the province. Since , the high school graduation rate has increased by 15%, from 68% to 83% in SHSM programs have played a significant role in this improvement. Reaching Every Student While serving students in each of the four postsecondary pathways, SHSM programs have the greatest impact on students planning to attend college or heading to the workplace. SHSM students taking workplace courses in grades 11 and 12 achieve their credits at a rate of 92% as compared to non-shsm students at a rate of 85%. SHSM students taking college courses achieve their credits at a rate of 92% as compared to non-shsm students at rate of 87%. The difference equates to thousands of additional credits that are earned by SHSM students According to Ministry of Education data collected from school boards based on the school year.

7 Specialist High Skills Majors 7 Postsecondary institutions are recognizing the quality of SHSM graduates. Among others, Laurentian University, Lakehead University, the University of Guelph, and St. Mary s University are providing targeted bursaries, awards or advanced placement in programs of study for SHSM graduates. A 2011 survey showed that within six months of graduating from high school 64% of SHSM students were pursuing a postsecondary program: 31% in university, 27% in college and 6.12% in an apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship. The Future of Specialist High Skills Majors Continuing Innovation The SHSM policy provides a consistent framework to ensure quality programs while also enabling schools to customize their programs to reflect local needs. In response to the changing needs of business and the opportunities afforded by the changing economy, this year the ministry is introducing a new certification requirement for SHSM students for training in Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE). The Specialist High Skills Majors program is preparing the next generation of Ontario s workforce The ministry team behind the Specialist High Skills Majors believes passionately in the power of innovation. It s this type of thinking that will help us achieve our goal which is to help all students succeed. This focus on innovation is now going to be expanded further, as we add a new certification for Specialist High Skills Majors in in Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship. Mary Jean Gallagher Assistant Deputy Minister, Student Achievement Division, Ministry of Education The Specialist High Skills Majors program is preparing the next generation of Ontario s workforce by connecting the skills and knowledge that students develop in school to those that businesses need today and tomorrow. Students, teachers, schools, government, and business are all working together to ensure that Ontario s workforce can meet the challenges of the 21st century.

8 Specialist High Skills Majors 8 All students can succeed in school and in life when supported with flexible learning options that support their interests and talents I am proud to say that I have experienced first-hand the passion, commitment and hard work behind the exceptional results we are seeing now. George Zegarac Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education For me, the SHSM embodies the key principles that underpin the whole Student Success Strategy and exemplifies the strategy s mandate to reach every student because it is designed to engage every student and encompasses each of the postsecondary pathways: apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace. This program also works so well because of effective partnerships between government and industry employers. It shows how all students can succeed in school and in life when supported with learning opportunities that support their interests and talents. Now, in 2013, it is inspiring to see how the Specialist High Skills Major program has grown, surpassing our highest expectations. Its scope, breadth of sectors and its positive impact on secondary school students are an exceptional achievement we can all celebrate.