Mississauga/CMEDIA: A new high school graduation requirement is being introduced by the Ontario government to help better prepare students across our province for the jobs of tomorrow, a news release reported.
As part of their Ontario Secondary School Diploma, all students entering Grade 9 in September 2024, will now be required to earn a Grade 9 or 10 Technological Education credit.
“I am proud to announce another step forward to ensure all students learn the critical skills necessary to succeed and get a good paying job…By requiring students to take at least one Technological Education credit in high school…creating new pathways to good jobs in STEM and the skilled trades…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,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. ” in the news release.
A broad range of sectors, including construction, transportation, manufacturing, computer technology, hospitality and communication are covered in the Technological Education curriculum.
Considering that more than 70 percent of workers in trades-related occupations in Ontario are men, mandatory Technological Education curriculum for graduation would exposure more young women to make the choice to pursue a career in the trades.
Of the 39 percent of Ontario secondary school students enrolled in a Technological Education course in 2020-21, nearly 63 percent were male students. This graduation requirement will provide opportunites to more young women to explore 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.”
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