Skip to main content
Bus infoStaffEmployment Contact Us
Lambton Kent District School Board
Every Student, Every Day
MENU
Construction

crane.jpg

A diverse array of career opportunities can be found within theConstruction sector. Locally, job prospects exist in fields ranging from carpentry and civil engineering, to plumbing, heating and cooling, and electrical installations. Graduates of the Specialist High Skills Major Program in Construction possess the knowledge and skills to pursue any number of these opportunities.

The Construction 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 Construction industry, the opportunities that it offers, and the skills needed for success within the sector.​

​The Construction SHSM Program consists of five required components:

1. Bundled Credits

Students will complete nine 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 Construction sector.  ​

​Credits

​Apprenticeship (Grades 11-12)

​College (Grades 11-12)

​University (Grades 11-12)

​Workplace (Grades 11-12)​

​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

​English (Including a CLA)

​1

​1

​1

2
One credit must be in 
Grade 12

​Mathematics (Including a CLA)

2
One credit must be in 
Grade 12
2
One credit must be in 
Grade 12
2
One credit must be in 
Grade 12

​1

​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

​Co-Operative Education​

​2

​2

​2

​2

2. Certification and Training​

​​​​Five Compulsory Certifications​​

​Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Level C – Includes AED

​Health and Safety - Basic

​Standard First Aid 

​Working at Heights

​Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System – Generic ​


​​​​​Two Elective Certifications ​ ​

​Basic Electrical Safety 

​Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) – Flat 

​Chainsaw Safety 

​Confined Space Awareness 

​Customer Service

​Elevated Work Platforms

​Energy Efficiency Training

​Fire Extinguisher Use 

​Hoisting and Rigging 

​Insulated Concrete Forming 

​Land Surveying Basics

​Leadership Skills 

​Lockout / Tagout 

​Personal Protective Equipment – Construction 

​Powder-Actuated Tools 

​Propane In Construction

​Scaffold Safety

​Sector-Specific Vehicle Operation and Safety 

​Specialized Skills Training Program / Competition

​Suspended Access Equipment

​Traffic Control

​Trenching Safety ​


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 Construction SHSM Program may be right for you if you are interested in careers similar to the following:​

​​Apprenticeship

​College

​Brick and Stone Mason
Carpenter
Electrician
Heating and Cooling Contractor
Millwright
Plumber
Roofe
​Architectural Design Technician
Civil Engineering Technologist
Construction Estimator / Manager
Home Inspector
Interior Designer
Residential Home Builder or Renovator

​University

​Workplace

​Architect
Electrical Engineer
Industrial Engineering
Mechanical Engineer
Structural Engineer
​Carpenter Assistant
Concrete Finisher
Construction Labourer
Demolition Worker
Drywall Installer ​


For more information, contact your high school Guidance Counsellor