Specialist high Skills Major (SHSM)
Land Acknowledgement
Out of our deep respect for Indigenous peoples in Canada, we acknowledge that all Toronto Catholic District School Board properties are situated upon traditional territories of the Anishinabek (a-ni-shna-bek), the Haudenosaunee (hoh-Dee-noh-Shoh-nee) Confederacy, and the Wendat peoples. We also acknowledge the land covered by Treaty 13 is held by the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and Toronto is subject to The Dish with One Spoon covenant. We also recognize the contributions and enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Ontario and the rest of Canada.
Transportation is an important feature in the daily lives of many Canadians, and becomes increasingly important as the country experiences both economic and population growth. It connects communities, contributes to the flow of people and goods, and is key to the success of the Canadian economy (Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, 2012).
The SHSM–Transportation provides students with a strong foundation for a wide variety of careers in the transportation sector, from those focusing on the service, repair, and modification of vehicles and vehicle systems to those related to the organization and management of transportation services and mass-transit systems. Depending on local circumstances, this SHSM may be designed to have a particular focus. Where a choice of focus areas is offered, students may select one (Ministry of Education, 2010).
A Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program is a ministry-approved specialized program that allows grade 11 and 12 students to focus their learning on a specific sector while meeting the requirements to graduate from secondary school. It also assists in their transition after graduation to apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace—a construction major can help you focus on a future career.
A Specialist High Skills Major in transportation offers:
high school courses in grade 11 and 12 tailored to the career you want to pursue
the chance to work with industry leaders and experience training in transportation
experience working in the sector you're interested in, while you're still in high school
recognition on your high school diploma
The transportation major includes the following components:
In the transportation major, you will take 9 credits in grade 11 and 12:
4 “major” credits in Transportation and related courses in grade 11 and 12
1 Grade 11 or Grade 12 English credit
1 Grade 11 or Grade12 Math credit
1 Grade 11 or Grade 12 Science or Business studies credit
2 Cooperative Education credits to experience life in the Transportation sector
experiential learning -See guest speakers, go on field trips to explore careers in Transportation
reach-ahead activities in transportation -Explore the field and postsecondary education opportunities in the Transportation sector
Sector Partnered Experiences (SPE) component that includes one of the following options: Innovation Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE) training; sector-delivered coding; or, sector delivered mathematical literacy. The SPE will require a 6 hour activity, delivered with a sector partner and have an experiential and an assessment component
Certifications and Awareness Training: Students complete selected sector-recognized certifications related to the major such as basic health and safety, fall protection, standard first aid, CPR and hazardous materials
Sector-recognized certification and training
As part of the transportation major, you will earn 7 certifications, including the following 4 that are compulsory:
basic health and safety
standard first aid
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Level C – includes automated external defibrillation (AED)
hazardous materials - Workplace Hazardous Materials Information Systems (WHMIS)
Upon graduation, students who complete an SHSM program will receive:
• An OSSD with an embossed SHSM seal of distinction;
• An SHSM Record Card documenting the student's achievement.