Take Tech: UGDSB Career Pathways take students from the classroom to meaningful careers

June 28, 2019


Did you know there are great pathways for students starting in high school that lead to awesome careers in the skilled trades?

There are many different options for students and the benefits of these pathways might surprise you.

Learn more about taking tech in high school and pursuing a pathway in technology and the skilled trades.

Watch the video below, talk to your Guidance Counsellor, and explore the Upper Grand District School Board’s Career Pathways: Co-opDual CreditOntario Youth Apprenticeship Program, and Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM).

UGDSB pathways planning at work – a student’s co-op leads to career

June 21, 2019


GUELPH, Ontario – A former Upper Grand District School Board student credits her pathways planning and co-op placement when she was in school for helping her start her career.

Nicole graduated from Guelph CVI in 2016 and says that her co-op and experience with the Special High Skills Major program (SHSM) played prominent roles in her achieving her career goals.

During her time at GCVI, Nicole completed three different co-op placements to prepare her for her career in firefighting.

UGDSB emergency services community partners often tell students that a great way to prepare for a career in emergency services is to gain experience working with the elderly and children. Because of this advice, Nicole did one co-op placement as an in-school mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and one in recreation at Schlegel Villages Riverside Glen.

In addition, she worked to complete the requirements of a SHSM in Health and Wellness, including First Aid/CPR, which helped prepare her for this career as well. She then did her final co-op placement with the Guelph Fire Department.

Since completing secondary school, Nicole has been working hard to get into the profession, working multiple jobs, maintaining the high level of physical fitness required, and volunteering with four different fire departments in Ontario.

Nicole recently won the For Youth Initiative – FESTI Scholarship. FESTI is the Fire and Emergency Services Training Institute – Canada’s Premiere Fire Training College. Students are trained as part of an auxiliary force at Pearson International Airport. She will earn her NFPA 1001 Level I – II FIREFIGHTER TRAINING PROGRAM.

Earlier this year, Nicole was hired by Guelph Eramosa Fire Department as an on-call firefighter. The Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association also hired her for a summer position.

For more information about the UGDSB SHSM program, visit the SHSM website.

For more information about career pathways, visit the board website.

Firefighting pathways poster

GCVI receives multiple awards at University of Waterloo Electric Vehicle Challenge

May 30, 2019


GUELPH, Ontario – A year of hard work has paid off for Guelph CVI’s Electric Vehicle Team.

On Saturday May 25, GCVI SHSM students competed at the Waterloo Electric Vehicle Challenge.

The annual event, hosted by Waterloo Engineering, encourages students to design and test their own electric car in an endurance competition.

The students worked hard all year to design, fabricate, program, machine, assemble, wire and test all three of the school’s vehicles that ran in this year’s competition. This year also featured GCVI’s new front wheel design, a first in its class.

On Saturday May 25, 2019, GCVI SHSM students competed at the Waterloo Electric Vehicle Challenge.On Saturday May 25, 2019, GCVI SHSM students competed at the Waterloo Electric Vehicle Challenge.On Saturday May 25, 2019, GCVI SHSM students competed at the Waterloo Electric Vehicle Challenge.

GCVI Manufacturing teacher Matt Lyle said that the work the students put in this year really paid off. The team was awarded both the Dennis Weishar Engineering Design Award for excellence in Engineering design and the Toyota Fabrication & Manufacturing Award for excellence in vehicle construction.

This is the third year in a row that the school has won the Manufacturing category and the second consecutive year for Engineering.

Congratulations to the EV Team!

On Saturday May 25, 2019, GCVI SHSM students competed at the Waterloo Electric Vehicle Challenge.

CHSS students earn SHSM certification through partnership with CFRU Radio

April 15, 2019


GUELPH, Ontario – Guelph high school students are learning about radio while earning a Specialist High Skills Major certification, through a unique partnership with CFRU 93.3 FM.

On Monday, CFRU’s Jenny Mitchell and Bry Webb were at College Heights Secondary School teaching students about radio production. Approximately 30 students from the school’s theatre tech and acting classes participated, earning their SHSM certification in Radio Broadcasting and Production.

To start the day, students were introduced to CFRU and the technology staff use to get radio programs to air. From there, they broke into two groups. The first group focused on interviewing and hosting skills. Jenny spoke to students about tips for coming up with interesting show or podcast ideas, for having an engaging conversation on the radio, and encouraged a back and forth dialogue between the students, who practiced their skills.

CHSS CFRU Radio 005

The second group focused on recording and editing in the school’s media lab. Bry introduced them to Adobe Audition and taught them about editing and mixing audio files, manipulating audio, and terms like clips, multi-track, pick up pattern, and so on. They took turns recording the CFRU Station ID, and were asked to think about how they could use these skills in sound editing in their upcoming theatre production.

CHSS CFRU Radio 008

Now that the students know how to use the technology, they are going to make radio spots for the school’s annual Spring Sale. CFRU will air the spots leading up to the May 9-11 event and will do a live broadcast on the Friday of the sale.

The partnership between the school and the community radio station also presents great opportunities for students who are interested in learning more about radio production to volunteer at the station, which would allow them to further their skills while earning their community service hours.

SHSM program at GCVI acquired new technology for electric car program

December 4, 2018


GUELPH, Ontario – Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) students at Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute have stepped up their manufacturing game this school year with the latest technology.

GCVI HAAS CNC Tech

SHSM is a specialized program that allows students to focus their learning on a specific economic sector while still meeting the requirement of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. The SHSM program helps students in their transition from secondary school to apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace.

Guelph CVI in partnership with the UGDSB SHSM program recently acquired one of the latest HAAS CNC Centres. The machine will be used to manufacture components associated with the school’s electric car program.

With this technology, students now have the ability to design and produce most of the parts needed to fabricate the electric car in-house.

This acquirement comes as part of the UGDSB effort to fit four schools in the board with this technology.

Guelph CVI, College Heights SS, Norwell DHS and John F. Ross CVI now have a HAAS CNC Centre that they can utilize to prepare and support students wishing to enter the manufacturing sector after high school.

SHSM students from John F. Ross CVI learn about mobility

December 3, 2018


GUELPH, Ontario – On November 23, Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) students from John F. Ross CVI participated in a career event that focused on mobility.

The Career Exploration event took place at DEFY Physiotherapy in Guelph. DEFY clinic owners Jared and Laura spoke to SHSM students about their career pathways and educated students about the number of heath care careers that are open to them in the future.

During the event, students had the chance to participate in a mobility class. This class highlighted the functional difference between flexibility and mobility. Students were led through a complete screening during the class and had a great day with this interactive learning experience.

DEFY Event JF Ross    DEFY Event JF Ross 2

UGDSB SHSM students receive new certifications in Health and Wellness

November 30, 2018


GUELPH, Ontario – On November 28, 75 Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Health and Wellness students from across the Upper Grand District School Board met at the Hanlon Convention Centre in Guelph to participate in a certification day.

This certification day was a one-of-a-kind SHSM day focused on workplace wellness. Starting the day off, students had the chance to meet with exhibitors from the YMCA National Youth Exchange Program, the People and Information Network in Guelph, the College of Massage, the University of Guelph and Conestoga College.

Thrive Day 2

Students rotated between three workshops during the day, where they learned about and received certifications in stress management techniques, customer service and communication strategies, and mental health awareness. As a bonus to the workshops, students had the chance to participate in a ‘Lunch and Launch’ for the Thrive in the Workplace app. This app provides training in workplace wellness topics for young employees in Ontario.

The event featured several guest speakers including Jessica Schumacher, the Youth Engagement Facilitator at the Canadian Mental Health Association Guelph. Schumacher lead students through some exercises for goal setting and prioritizing, to help them manage stress from school and work.

Thrive Day 1

Students also heard from Christy Munro from the La Luma Academy Salon. Munro spoke about self-awareness and discovering personal motivators.

Lastly, students heard from Sarah Stewart, a registered Social Worker, certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor and the owner of Open Minds Mental Health. Stewart challenged students to think about the importance of wellbeing and how work and school can affect mental health and wellness.

CWDHS celebrates the grand opening of a new SHSM Media Lab

November 26, 2018


FERGUS, Ontario – On November 20, Centre Wellington District High School celebrated the grand opening of the school’s new SHSM Media Lab.

The school hosted an event to celebrate the completion of the media lab and as a way to thank the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program sponsors who funded the initiative.

The SHSM Media Lab was designed to be a space for students and staff to make creative content in an innovative space. The lab has hardware and software as well as audio, digital and other equipment needed for production.

The goal of the lab is to nurture and enhance the integration between innovative ideas and media technologies. The media lab encourages collaboration between students and allows them to engage with new teaching strategies.

The grand opening showcased student work and gave those in attendance the chance to hear from students and teachers about what the workspace means to them.

CWDHS staff are excited to be a part of a great initiative that sees them learning alongside their students.

Media Lab Grand Opening CWDHS

John F. Ross CVI SHSM students earn new certifications

November 5, 2018


GUELPH, Ontario – On November 5, Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) students from John F. Ross CVI earned new certifications at Hotzone Training Consultants in Cambridge.

SHSM is a specialized program that allows students to focus their learning on a specific economic sector while still meeting the requirement of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. The SHSM program helps students in their transition from secondary school to apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace.

Ross Students At Hotzone 2

Hotzone Training Consultants is a high-level training centre with certified training instructors. In the morning, Materials Handler expert Ron Watts led the Propane Safety certification course. After lunch, firefighter Ron Green took over and trained the group in Fire Extinguisher Use and Confined Space Awareness.

The John F. Ross CVI SHSM program will be back at Hotzone in December to train Health and Wellness students on healthcare training day.

Ross Students At Hotzone

Congratulations to all the students that earned new certification.

CWDHS adds a new course to their SHSM program

October 26, 2018


FERGUS, Ontario – For the first time, Centre Wellington District High School is offering Hair-styling and Aesthetics (Cosmetology) classes at the school.

The Cosmetology courses are now part of the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Health and Wellness program offered at CWDHS.

SHSM is a specialized program that allows students to focus their learning on a specific economic sector while still meeting the requirement of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. The SHSM program helps students in their transition from secondary school to apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace.

On October 25, CWDHS students were working on nail techniques and casualty simulation make-up.

Cosmo At CWDHS 2 Cosmo At CWDHS