1. Innovation, Creativity & Entrepreneurship TrainingL
Lydia Hamilton
Supporting Specialist High Skills Major
Jennifer Regnier
Workflow Ninja
Introduction to self and organization
Lydia – OCDSB
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) is the largest school board in Eastern Ontario, with 143 schools, serving students with a 2, 760 square kilometer areas knowns as the City of Ottawa.
Jen – Out of the Box
Out of the Box Business Optimization was founded in 2017 by Jennifer Regnier who after 15 years in the not-for-profit sector had become exceptional at doing more with less. Jennifer’s company works with not-for-profits, entrepreneurs and small to medium size companies helping them become more efficient and productive. Jennifer is a skilled facilitator and program developer who has worked with the four school boards in Ottawa for 12 years creating and implementing school-based programs. Her previous experience as Program Manager with Junior Achievement (JA) Ottawa, through the Ottawa Network for Education, connected her with the OCDSB SHSM programs over 4 years where she became passionate about teaching youth entrepreneurship and enhancing their employability skills.

2. Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Programs
Students focus on a career path that matches their skills, interests and talents while earning their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with a “Specialist” designation
Sector Partnered Contextualized Experience
Reach Ahead Experience
Experiential Learning and Career Exploration
Certifications and Training
Bundle of credits and Cooperative Education
Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programs are part of the Ontario Ministry of Education Student Success strategy, focusing on engaging learning opportunities for students. SHSM programs let students focus on a career path that matches their skills and interests while meeting the requirements of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).
Students receive the SHSM seal on their diploma when they:
complete a specific bundle of 8-10 courses in the student's selected field
earn valuable industry certifications including first aid and CPR qualifications
gain important skills on the job through cooperative education placements.
Through these programs, students have the opportunity to gain important skills on the job and receive valuable industry certifications. These programs enable students to gain sector-specific skills and knowledge in engaging, career-related learning environments, and to prepare in a focused way for graduation and postsecondary education, training, or employment.
Key component of the SHSM programs include experiential learning and career exploration activities, reach ahead activities and essential skills and work habit development.

3. OCDSB SHSM Sectors Health and Wellness Non-profit Business Sports
Arts and Culture
Construction
Environment
Horticulture and Landscaping
Non-profit
Sports
Transportation
Hospitality and Tourism
Manufacturing
Information Communication Technology
Justice, Community Safety and Emergency Services
Other SHSM Sectors: Aviation and Aerospace, Agriculture, Energy, Forestry, Food Processing, Mining

4. Why SHSM? Meeting students individual learning styles and interests
Allows students to customize their high school experience
Allows students to focus their learning on a specific sector
Allows students to make direct and authentic connections with industry and community partners
Diploma with “Specialist” Designation
Industry recognized certifications
Relevant Skill development through Experiential learning with Industry & Community partners
Identify, explore and refine career goals

5. Experiential Learning and Career Exploration Activities
Increase student awareness of, and development of 21st century competencies and work habits required in the sector
Activities match student goals and interests
Planned activities that take place outside of the regular classroom that are related to the SHSM sector
Field Trips
Guest Speakers
Job Shadowing and Work Experience
Experiential Learning and Career Exploration Activities

6. Reach Ahead Opportunities
Opportunities for students to experience their selected post secondary pathway
May include
Audi ting a college or university class/lecture specific to a SHSM sector
Attending a campus tours or industrial centre
Interviewing a skilled tradesperson
Participating in or visiting skills competitions
Attending a conference/event held in the sector
Completing one or more ministry-approved dual credits in a secondary school/college program

7. Certifications and Training
Each SHSM student must complete 6 – 7 sector- recognized certifications, including:
3 – 4 mandatory certifications, First Aid, CPR Level C with AED Training and WHMIS, plus additional certifications depending on sector
2-3 optional elective certifications, selected by SHSM program teachers and teams, i.e. Working at Heights, Customer Service Training, Drive Clean, SmartServe, etc.

8. Sector-Partner Contextualized Experience
Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship Training (ICE)
Sector-delivered contextualized coding
Sector-delivered contextualized mathematical literacy
Sector-Partner Contextualized Experience

9. Agenda 2017-2018 Day 1 Day 2 Welcome ICE Jeopardy Speed Networking
Entrepreneurship and Business Planning 101
Closing
Welcome
Challenge Statement
Gear 1: Empathy and Need Finding
Gear 2: Ideation and Prototyping
Gear 3: Strategy and Testing
Sharing Innovations
Feedback

10. Agenda

11. Agenda

12. Success Factors Industry Partnerships Networks Collaboration
Sector Champions
Give-Back Concept

13. Partnership Capacity and Results
Enhanced Employability
Experiential Learning
Knowledge transfer of employability skills
Youth Involvement
Replicability
Recognition of Excellence
Evidence of Partnership Capacity and Results
1. Enhanced employability
When students complete ICE Training they have not only developed innovation and creativity skills but learned how entrepreneurship can teach them valuable transferable employability skills. Students also gain skills in taking smart risks, resilience, collaboration, imagination, problem solving, persistence, critical thinking, embracing feedback and comfort in ambiguity.
2. Extent of experiential learning
Under the terms of SHSM guidelines developed by the Ministry of Education, experiential learning and career exploration is a mandatory component for SHSM students. Through ICE training, students learned about sector specific career pathways and how entrepreneurship is relevant to their sector. Speed Mentors shared their personal stories within their sector. Students commented that their time with the Speed Mentors was the most valuable since it allowed students to hear what it’s really like in the world of work.
3. Knowledge transfer of employability skills
Over the course of the 2-day training, the facilitator(s) linked for students the relevance of learning about innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. Speed Mentors shared with students what qualities and skill sets are wanted in the workforce. The objectives of ICE training are well linked to “Employability Skills: What Employers Want” by Conference Board of Canada (2018) and highlight that skills like creativity and out of the box thinking, enhanced communication and being a critical thinker are wanted employability skills.
4. Youth involvement in design and operation of the partnership
While this year’s training was developed by the Partners, student feedback was utilized through the year to adapt and modify the training. In addition, one groups of Business SHSM students was paired with the OCDSB and asked to help the board increase student awareness of SHSM programs. This group of students presented real, viable and tangible ideas. These students are currently still engaged in working through an implementation plan for next year. Moreover, the student feedback forms included the option for students to join a SHSM Ambassador group. Over 45 students indicated they wanted to be involved as an Ambassador and this program is currently being developed.
In addition, students from the Arts and Culture SHSM that attended ICE created a promotional video about the program that will be used as a marketing piece to encourage more student enrollment and Industry Partner involvement.
5. Replicability of the partnership
SHSM programs are available throughout Ontario. Lydia Hamilton sits on an Eastern Ontario committee and is seen as a leader in her implementation of ICE training. Schools boards from Eastern Ontario were invited to attend ICE training and have now initiated conversations with Out of the Box Business Optimization to assist in creating and planning their ICE training for next year. This year’s activities created a replicable framework that can benefit students across Ontario.
6. Recognition of excellence
The OCDSB SHSM programs and partnerships through ICE training have been recognized in the Ottawa Citizen and shared with other school boards in Eastern Ontario. Out of the Box Business Optimization and the OCDSB are already working on plans for next year that include additional partners such as Apple, and other local businesses. These partnerships increase the quality of Sector Partner Contextualized Experience (SPCE) training opportunities for students as well as create more interaction opportunities between sector and educators creating more cooperative education opportunities for students.

14. Thank you! Lydia Hamilton Jennifer Regnier ocdsb.ca/shsm
Jennifer Regnier
ocdsb.ca/shsm
Thank you!