A diverse array of career opportunities can be found within the Arts and Culture sector. Locally, job prospects exist in fields ranging from dramatic arts and dance performance, to visual arts and technical production. Graduates of the Specialist High Skills Major Program in Arts and Culture possess the knowledge and skills to pursue any number of these opportunities.
The Arts and Culture Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Program provides students with the opportunity to specialize their academic studies, earn certifications and qualifications, and plan their career pathway while they are still in high school. The SHSM Program involves a number of components that provide students with a better understanding of the Arts and Culture industry, the opportunities that it offers, and the skills needed for success within the sector.
The Arts and Culture SHSM Program consists of five required components:
1. Bundled Credits
Students will complete eight Grade 11 and Grade 12 credits related to their sector of interest, some of which are supplemented with contextualized learning activities (CLA) that frame the subject of study within the context of the Arts and Culture sector.
Major Credits Including at least one Grade 11 and one Grade 12 credit | 4 One credit may be substituted with an additional co-operative education credit | 4 One credit may be substituted with an additional co-operative education credit | 4 One credit may be substituted with an additional co-operative education credit | 4 One credit may be substituted with an additional co-operative education credit |
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English (Including a CLA) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
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Business or Science (Including a CLA) | 1 One credit may be substituted with an additional co-operative education credit | 1 One credit may be substituted with an additional co-operative education credit | 1 One credit may be substituted with an additional co-operative education credit | 1 One credit may be substituted with an additional co-operative education credit |
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Co-Operative Education | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
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2. Certification and Training
Students will earn both compulsory and elective sector-recognized certifications through cost-free workshops and training courses/programs.
Three Compulsory Certification |
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Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Level C – Includes AED | Standard First Aid | Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System – Generic |
Advanced Training in a Technique | Advanced Training in a Technology | Advanced Training in an Art Form | Advanced Training in Art Therapy |
Audition Preparation | Basic Electrical Safety | Beauty Specialist Certification Program | Curatorial Techniques |
Customer Service | Elevated Work Platforms | Event Co-Ordination | Framing and Matting |
Game Design | Health and Safety – Basic | Instructor Certification | Interactive Art Forms |
Leadership Skills | Lighting and Sound Equipment Maintenance | Make-Up / Cosmetology | Musical Instrument Repair |
Portfolio Development | Proper Lifting and Carrying Techniques | Proposal / Grant Writing | Pyrotechnics |
Recording Equipment | Software 1 | Software 2 | Stage Combat |
Technical Staging | Working at Heights | Wrapping and Taping for Performance and Injury | |
3. Career Exploration
Students will explore opportunities in their chosen sector through experiential learning and career exploration activities (field trips, guest speaking engagements, job shadowing).
4. Reach Ahead Experiences
Students will participate in experiences aligned with the student’s post-secondary plans.
5. Sector-Partnered Experience
Students will complete a sector-partnered contextualized learning experience.
SHSM Program Recognition
Students who successfully complete a SHSM program receive:
An OSSD designated with an embossed red seal;
A SHSM record documenting their certification/training achievements;
Formal recognition on their Ontario School Transcript.
Career Pathways
The Arts and Culture SHSM Program may be right for you if you are interested in careers similar to the following:
Artisan or Craftsperson Entertainment Industry Power Technician Gem Setter / Goldsmith Painter and Decorator | Actor Animator Broadcast Technician Dance Performer or Choreographer Fashion Design Graphic Designer or Illustrator Interior Designer Sound Engineer Technical Producer Photographer Video Recording Technician
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University | Workplace |
Author or Writer Conductor, Composer or Arranger Conservator or Curator Dancer Music Therapist Painter, Sculptor or Visual Artists Producer, Director or Choreographer | Advertising Design Camera Operator Desktop Publishing Operator Illustrator Musician or Singer Sign Maker |
