A Specialist High Skills Major allows you to focus on a career 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 health and wellness major can help you focus on a future career.

A Specialist High Skills Major in health and wellness offers:

  • high school courses in Grade 11 and 12 tailored to the career you want to pursue
  • the chance to gain hands-on experience in health care, fitness, childcare or family services
  • experience working in the sector you’re interested in, while you’re still in high school
  • recognition on your high school diploma

A Specialist High Skills Major in health and wellness includes the following components:

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

Sector-recognized certification and training

As part of the health and wellness major, you will earn six certifications, including the following four that are compulsory:

  • infection control
  • standard first aid
  • CPR, Level C
  • hazardous materials – Workplace Hazardous Materials Information Systems (WHMIS)

Future career paths for health and wellness majors

For health and wellness majors, possible careers include:

  • apprenticeship – early childhood educator, child and youth worker, educational assistant
  • college – paramedic, dental hygienist, pharmacy technician, practical nurse, athletic trainer
  • university – audiologist, dentist, dietician, pharmacist, kinesiologist, registered nurse, sports medicine doctor
  • entry level workplace – certified personal trainer, lifeguard, hospital admitting clerk, doctor’s office receptionist

Get more information

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