A Specialist High Skills Major allows you to focus on a career area that interests you while you earn your high school diploma. No matter what education you plan to pursue after high school—apprenticeship, college, university or workplace training—a business major can help you focus on a future career.

A Specialist High Skills Major in business offers:

  • high school courses in grade 11 and 12 tailored to the career you want to pursue
  • the chance to work with industry leaders and experience cutting-edge training in business
  • experience working in the sector you’re interested in, while you’re still in high school
  • skills and work habits that are required in the business sector, using tools connected with the Ontario Skills Passport
    recognition on your high school diploma

The business major includes the following components:

  1. In the business major, you will take nine credits in grade 11 and 12:
    • four business major credits
    • one English credit and two math credits, each with units focused on business
    • co-operative education credits to gain workplace experience that helps you refine, extend and practice your business knowledge and skills
  2. Sector-recognized certifications and/or training courses/programs
  3. Experiential learning and career exploration activities within the sector
  4. Reach ahead experiences connected with the student’s postsecondary plans
  5. Completion of a Sector-Partnered Contextualized Experience

Sector-recognized certification and training

As part of the business major, you will earn 6 certifications, including the following 4 that are compulsory:

  • customer service
  • standard first aid
  • CPR, Level A
  • hazardous materials – Workplace Hazardous Materials Information Systems (WHMIS)

Future career paths for business majors

For business majors, possible careers include:

  • apprenticeship – parts technician, special events coordinator, entrepreneur
  • college – conference and event planner, legal secretary, entrepreneur
  • university – financial and investment analyst, web designer and developer, entrepreneur
  • entry level workplace – accounting clerk, banking clerk, real estate agent, entrepreneur

Get more information

Call the guidance department at the following schools that offer the program: