Requirements - Manufacturing

The ministry-approved frameworks for the Specialist High Skills Majors have five required components: bundled credits, sector-recognized certifications, experiential learning, documentation of essential skills and work habits using the Ontario Skills Passport (OSP), and ‘reach ahead’ experiences in the fields being considered as postsecondary destinations.

Local circumstances, (e.g., facilities and equipment, staff qualifications, and partnerships/ agreements), determine how the provincial SHSM framework components are offered to students in a school/board. Depending on these circumstances, the components may be delivered in a secondary school, in a college, in a training centre, in a not-for-profit organization, or in other approved sites.

1.Bundled credits
The required 10 credits in the bundle are identified in the SHSM–Manufacturing provincially approved framework. The components of the framework include Ontariocurriculum credits, locally developed course credits, and, potentially, ministry-approvedcredits for Equivalent Learning (e.g., dual credits, sector-delivered training or certifica-tions), as enabling policies and procedures are developed and implemented.

i) Manufacturing Major credits are courses in the bundle that enable students to builda foundation of sector-focused knowledge and skills before graduating and enteringa postsecondary destination: apprenticeship training, college, university, or entry-level positions in the workplace.


ii) Other required credits in the bundle are Ontario curriculum credits, e.g., science and mathematics, and some of these required credits may count as compulsory credits for the OSSD, e.g., English. These required credits are delivered in the context of the sector, e.g., a unit in mathematics could focus on the measurement skills specific to manufacturing.

2. Sector-recognized certifications
Certifications, especially those addressing safety, are important for students pursuing the SHSM and preparing for employment. The Manufacturing Major courses and the experiential learning components of the SHSM – Manufacturing require students to have the knowledge and skills related to safe work habits. In addition, students with sector-recognized certifications have an advantage when entering the workplace. As the Credits for Equivalent Learning policy and procedures are developed and implemented, it may become possible for a limited number of sector-delivered certifications to be eligible for approval and recognition by the ministry for credit towards the OSSD.

Students in the SHSM – Manufacturing are required to earn:

• Health and Safety – Basic
• WHMIS
• CPR/ First Aid

and any 3 (three) of the following:

• Elevating Work Platforms
• Arial Platform, Scissor Lift, Boom Lift
• Scaffold Users’ Hazard Awareness
• Fall Protection – Basics
• Hoisting and Rigging Basic
• Lift Truck Training
• Propane Training
• Lockout/Tag Safety Training
• Transportation of Dangerous Goods
• Confined Entry
• Canadian Welding Bureau CWB Certification
• a CAD/CAM certification

Substitutions in the preceding list and changes in the number of requirements are not permitted. Boards and schools may provide opportunities for students to earn additional certifications.

The SHSM experiential learning (e.g., job-shadowing, job-twinning, work experience) is planned learning experiences that take place in the community. Credits in the SHSM framework must include experiential learning opportunities for students so they can connect their learning in school to work in the sector. Cooperative education provides strong links to classroom learning when it occurs in an appropriate placement that matches students’ goals and interests and includes close monitoring by teachers and workplace supervisors.

The Ontario Skills Passport (http://skills.edu.gov.on.ca) provides clear descriptions of the skills used in nearly all occupations as well as important work habits. These are called the essential skills and are transferable from job to job and from sector to sector. The OSP database is searchable, using the National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes, to identify the skills and related tasks for the careers identified for the manufacturing sector (see pages 14–15). These skills and tasks form the basis of the OSP Work Plan used to identify and track students’ demonstration of essential skills and work habits during work experiences in the sector.

Students in the SHSM – Manufacturing have opportunities for learning experiences in their desired postsecondary destination. These experiences enable students to gain confidence in their ability to be successful, refine their skills and work habits, and make an informed choice about future careers and next steps. ‘Reach ahead‘ opportunities range from experiential learning a few hours in length to full courses. These could include:
• job-shadowing someone in a career the student is considering for a day or more;
• attending a number of college or university classes in their area of interest;
• attending a conference or workshop held by the economic sector for their SHSM; and/or
• completing a ministry-approved dual credit course(s)/program or apprenticeship training where students graduate with learning/credits that may count towards the first year in a postsecondary institution or towards an apprenticeship program.