Ontario Preparing Students for Jobs of the Future

The Ontario government is implementing a new high school graduation requirement to help better prepare students across our province for the jobs of tomorrow. Starting with students entering Grade 9 in September 2024, all students will now be required to earn a Grade 9 or 10 Technological Education credit as part of their Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education said "By requiring students to take at least one Technological Education credit in high school, we are opening up doors and creating new pathways to good jobs in STEM and the skilled trades. All students will benefit from a greater emphasis on hands-on learning experiences and technical skills in the classroom so they can graduate with a competitive advantage in this country."

This new learning graduation requirement will expose Ontario’s students to at least one Technological Education course that could guide them to a future career in the highly skilled workforce, including the skilled trades. With more than 100,000 unfilled skilled trades jobs right now, it is critical Ontario attracts more young people to pursue a fulfilling, good-paying career in the trades.

The Technological Education curriculum covers a broad range of sectors, including construction, transportation, manufacturing, computer technology, hospitality and communication. In Ontario, men make up more than 70 per cent of workers in trades-related occupations. The exposure to these career pathways as a mandatory graduation curriculum requirement will ensure more young women make the choice to pursue a career in the trades.

This new graduation requirement builds upon other actions taken by the government to bolster its Skilled Trades Strategy, including developing an accelerated Grade 11 to apprenticeship pathway for students to get into the skilled trades faster.

“Ontario is facing the largest labour shortage in a generation, which means when you have a career in the skilled trades, you have a career for life,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “That’s why our government is taking an all-hands-on deck approach to attract and train our next generation of skilled trades workers for better jobs and bigger paycheques for themselves and their families.”

read full details here:

https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1002810/ontario-preparing-students-for-jobs-of-the-future

Canadian Senior and Intermediate Mathematics Contests

 The Canadian Senior and Intermediate Mathematics Contests (CSMC and CIMC) are two contests designed to give students the opportunity to have fun and develop their mathematical problem-solving ability.

Audience

Students in Grade 10 or 9 or below are eligible to write the CIMC.

Students in Grade 12 or 11 and CÉGEP students are eligible to write the CSMC.

Date

Written in November. Visit https://www.cemc.uwaterloo.ca/contests/our-contests.html for dates and deadlines for the current year.

Format

9 questions; 6 are answer only and 3 are full-solution

2 hours

Score out of 60

Marks are awarded for completeness, clarity, and style of presentation. A correct solution, poorly presented, will not earn full marks.

Written by individuals on paper Some calculators permitted

Mathematical Content

Most of the CIMC problems are based on the mathematical curriculum up to and including Grade 10. Most of the CSMC problems are based on the mathematical curriculum up to and including the final year of secondary school.

Practicing with past contests is a great way for students to get to know the style of questions that appear on these contests, as well as common topics. 

Students can also prepare by reviewing our open courseware. We also have some preparation materials  which are specifically aimed at the CSMC contest.

Contest Supervision

Contest Supervisors should arrange to have students write the contest at school and are responsible for ensuring that students are supervised appropriately.

Once the contest has been written, all of the contest materials should be returned to the CEMC in one package for marking.

Results will be sent to the Contest Supervisor by email and will also be available in the Contest Supervisor Portal four to six weeks after the contest date.

For additional details:

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Skilled trades in Ontario High Schools

 The skilled trades offer students a variety of rewarding and lucrative career opportunities. With specialty training, hands-on work and jobs in high-demand, skilled trades give students a wide range of secure, high-paying and satisfying careers.

Job skills programs in High schools across Ontario offer job skills programs to help young people recognize skilled trades and apprenticeships as a career of choice.

Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM)

This innovative program lets high school students in Grades 11 and 12 focus on a career path that matches their skills and interests while earning their Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

Students can concentrate their learning around a particular sector gain important skills on the job with actual employers, at skills training centres and at school earn industry certifications.

Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programs are available in 19 sectors including:

agriculture

aviation/aerospace

construction

energy

environment

food processing

forestry

horticulture and landscaping

hospitality and tourism

information and communications technology

manufacturing

mining

transportation

Find an SHSM program

Previous blog posts, education articles, links to information, education services and social media in the right side bar, 

List of education blogs below the posts.