Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP)
The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) is a School to Work program that opens the door for students to explore and gain training in apprenticeship occupations starting in Grade 11 or Grade 12 through the Cooperative Education program. There are over
150+ skilled trades to choose from!
Students have an opportunity to become registered apprentices and work towards becoming certified in a skilled trade while completing their secondary school diplomas. The goals of OYAP are to:
Provide students with the opportunity to start training in a skilled trade while completing the requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma;
Enable students to make the school to work transition by direct entry into apprenticeship training;
Provide employers with the opportunity to train the skilled workers they require;
Provide a viable solution to address the problem of skilled tradespeople shortages in general, and specifically the lack of young people joining the trade
Applying for the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program could be the first step in beginning a rewarding career in the skilled trades:
OYAP is a smart choice if you wish to jump-start your career. Jobs in the skilled trades can pay well and challenge your intellect and creativity.
OYAP is often the first step towards a career path in the trades that can lead to supervisory, administrative or management positions, or even to a self-employed business career.
Students who participate in OYAP will be trained in a specific set of skills leading to a registered apprenticeship program and will be able to obtain apprenticeship hours/competencies and high school credits at the same time.
Accelerated OYAP
Students may be eligible to receive their Level 1 apprenticeship training through a certified college during their last semester in high school. The college credits are dual credits and apply toward the OSSD.
Interested in a career in one of the following skilled trades:
- Automotive Service
- Plumbing
- Electrical
-
Child Care
- Heating & Air Conditioning
- Carpentry
Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM)
An SHSM is a Ministry of Education approved specialized program that allows students to focus their learning on a specific economic sector while meeting the requirements to graduate from secondary school. It also assists in their transition after graduation to apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace.
SHSM provides students with an opportunity to: - Customize their secondary school education to suit their strengths, interests and abilities
- Develop specialized knowledge and skills
- Earn credits that postsecondary educational institutions and the sector recognise
- Gain sector-recognised certification and career-relevant training
- Develop Essential Skills and work habits documented through the Ontario Skills Passport
- Identify, explore and refine career goals and make informed decisions about their future
- Remain flexible, with the option to shift between pathways, should their goals and plans change.
Students who graduate with a SHSM can look forward to improved prospects after secondary school because of the recognition of and support for the SHSM content from business and industry, apprenticeship training programs, colleges, and universities.
High Performance Athlete (HPA)
HPA is co-op programming tailored to meet the learning needs of students who are committed to focusing on their long term career objectives while accommodating competitive training needs. Criteria for consideration/acceptance into HPA programming is based upon:
- the # of hours committed to training;
- the learning needs of the student;
- level of competition;
- training season;
- completed application process; and
- a program readiness assessment.
- coach reference form
HPA programming provides students with an opportunity to:
- access individually tailored Co-op courses
- earn credits towards their OSSD while training and competing
Army Reserve Co-op
The Canadian Army Reserve offers co-operative education opportunities to York Region District School Board students in order to introduce young Canadians to the diverse opportunities within the
Canadian Armed Forces.
The program includes basic military training, first aid, navigation, field craft, career awareness, communication, self defence, and training in the operation of military equipmenment.
International Co-operative Education (ICE)
Students earn up to four credits through the ICE program by spend July in Costa Rica living with a host family and working in a career field of their choice.