Learning a new trade

There’s a growing need for workers in many skilled trades across Canada. While governments are working to address the problem through immigration, retraining programs, and by reducing barriers to completing apprenticeships, high schools are also doing their part by highlighting the diversity of potential career options to youth before they begin post-secondary studies.

That’s why more than 2,500 Ontario schools offer a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program for grade 11 and 12 students. SHSM programs cover 19 distinct disciplines, ranging from skilled trades and manufacturing to agriculture; justice, community safety, and emergency services; food processing; and many others. The number of participating schools and disciplines available for study grows each year.

A student enrolled in a SHSM program receives an Ontario high school diploma when they graduate, with an additional SHSM seal. The seal reflects their completion of eight to 10 courses in their specific field, as well as their attainment of applicable industry certifications, such as first aid, Safe Food Handling, WHMIS and CPR qualifications. Through their course work and cooperative education placements, students gain important skills which give them a head start in their post-secondary studies or in the workplace.

The programs are popular with students, high schools, post-secondary institutions, and industry partners. There’s just one challenge: teaching in these programs requires hands-on knowledge in the specific field being taught, and it can prove difficult to find qualified teachers. In addition to the trades shortage, the Ontario College of Teachers and Peter Chin, Associate Dean of Teacher Education at Queen’s, identified in 2017 that Ontario would be experiencing an unheard-of teacher shortage in 2020.

That’s why Queen’s is helping to teach those with technical know-how all they need to know to become teachers by offering the Technological Education Multi-Session (TEMS) program.

Through TEMS, skilled workers complete a series of face-to-face weekends in the Markham, Ontario area, as well as completing online content, multi-week stretches on-campus in Kingston, and placements in the school environment. This flexible schedule is intended to help working professionals maintain their career while they gain the necessary teaching skills in order to eventually make the transition to full-time teaching.

“We have a lot of individuals out there working on what are called letters of permission, which is a recognition from the school board that the teacher has got the technical expertise,” said Ena Holtermann, Adjunct Professor and Coordinator of TEMS. “The gap is that we have set a very high bar of what we expect from educators. So, while these individuals were doing a terrific job, they needed more support in the art of teaching.”

By participating in a program like TEMS, students can obtain a Transitional Certificate of Qualification and Registration (TCQR) which is recognized by the Ontario College of Teachers and allows the bearer to teach while completing their teacher education program. As a student completes the TEMS program, they become eligible for either a Bachelor of Education or a Diploma of Education based on their previously completed education.

“We chose Markham for our in-person weekends because it’s easily accessible across southern Ontario, but we attract students from as far away as Ottawa and Kapuskasing,” said Peter, who is also the Coordinator of the Technological Education Program. “These students are typically older, they’ve done a trade, they have families and mortgages. They can’t afford to move to a new city to enroll in a traditional technological education program. TEMS allows them to stay in their home communities and the impact is largely limited to their weekends.”

The first cohort of the TEMS program began in May 2020 and graduated in the summer of 2022. All are now practicing as teachers.

The current cohort includes 30 students, and the 2023 cohort looks to be double that size. And learners aren’t strictly coming from the professions you first think of when you think of ‘shop class’ – in addition to carpentry, automotive, and manufacturing trades, the TEMS program has attracted professionals from disciplines such as hairstyling and esthetics, architecture, healthcare and communications technologies.

“One individual with experience in mining is developing a program in Northern Ontario to encourage students to embrace that career pathway,” said Ena. “It's all in line with the Ministry of Education’s vision of creating real world experiences for students in secondary school so that they can begin pursuing skilled trade pathways a little earlier.”

Another TEMS participant was a hairstylist volunteering at a high school. When the regular teacher she worked with got sick, she became more involved in the classroom and developed her own connections with the students. Despite her personal difficulties in school, owing to her own learning disability, she succeeded in the teaching role and decided to enroll in the TEMS program and make the career switch a permanent one.

“She broke down barriers and what she was told she was as a student,” said Ena. “And by breaking through those barriers, she was able to create these incredible bridges and opportunities for the students that were experiencing the very same thing. Using her passion for the skilled trade as a vehicle to get kids excited about staying in school, working hard, and achieving their dreams – that was a really special moment.”

Another TEMS graduate, who also struggled through high school and even skipped their own graduation, recalled their high school principal attending their TEMS graduation. The principal came to congratulate this graduate on receiving their diploma, and hired the individual to teach at their former school.

“No matter which multi-session program you take, the goals are universal: to create a pathway for people who would like to embark on a teaching career as quickly and as effectively as possible,” said Ena. “Students were working in their industries at the end of April, and they were creating opportunities for kids to follow their dreams by the following February. Even I didn't truly appreciate the incredible impact that the program would have.”