The Simcoe County District School Board will be offering secondary students greater access to career-related learning opportunities, with the addition of two new Specialist High Skills Major programs.

Starting in September, Stayner Collegiate Institute will be offering a SHSM in the Environment sector, and Midland Secondary School will be offering an Information, Communications and Technology program. The Environment sector SHSM will support students in building a foundation of environmentally focused knowledge and skills. The program will help students identify, explore and refine their career goals as they relate to the environment.

The Information, Communications & Technology SHSM will allow students to learn and develop skills in the production of a variety of media, including designing and producing materials for print and web publication, graphic design as it pertains to the desktop and Internet publishing industries, writing for print and electronic publishing, still image production for print and digital publication, and audio and video production.

Currently, the SCDSB offers 37 SHSM programs to over 550 students.

With the addition of the two new programs, it is expected that over 700 students will be engaged in these specialized learning opportunities.

“The SCDSB offers our students a wonderful range of pathways to success,” said superintendent Steve Blake, in a press release. “Through these specialized programs, students learn in a hands-on environment where they develop new, career-focused skills.”