Starting in September, Grade 10 students across Ontario will learn how to pay their bills on time and use credit responsibly in a newly revised and mandatory career studies course.
Minister of Education Stephen Lecce said the course will be required to earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma and will prepare students for the jobs of the future.
"The curriculum has to focus more on those core competencies that are going to help young people get jobs; skilled trades, the creative elements, reasoning, debate, some of the soft skills," said Lecce. "These are some of the things I know parents want to see more of in the classroom."
Financial management and budgeting will be a significant focus of the new program. The course will also teach students about high-growth industries in the science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines. Social media use and its implications and how transferable skills can help students get the jobs that will be in demand are also part of the course curriculum.
"Our mission is to ensure that our young people are better prepared to transition from the journey of learning seamlessly into the workforce," said Lecce to an audience at York University in Toronto Tuesday morning. "We are better aligning our curriculum with the labour market."
The curriculum is available online.
"The old system did not sufficiently support our young people, nor inspire them to consider the jobs of tomorrow," said Lecce. "This transformation will help inspire our students to think big, to aspire for better jobs, and to support the creation of a credible career pathway so they can succeed in a competitive global marketplace."
Lecce told reporters he will begin meeting with employers to get feedback on how educators can prepare students for the demands of the workplace now and into the future.
"We have this unusual paradox within this country where we have jobs without people and people without jobs," he said. "We need more people. The Baby Boomers are exiting the workforce."