SHSM and OYAP Safety Training for Students
Total Group’s on-site training entry for SHSM and OYAP groups supports workplace readiness for high school students, apprentices and youth employment programmes. The official Ontario term is Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM). Ontario’s SHSM model combines sector-focused courses with certifications or training, experiential learning and sector-partnered experiences, while OYAP helps eligible secondary students earn co-operative education credits through skilled-trade work placements [1] [2] [3].
Training that connects classroom learning to the worksite
Use this programme when a school, board, employer or youth employment partner needs practical safety instruction linked to a real trade or industrial setting. Training may cover workplace safety and hazard awareness, jobsite expectations, reporting concerns, stop-work decisions, personal protective equipment, safe communication and the hazards that students may meet during a placement. The final topics should be set with the school, employer and instructor after reviewing the placement, equipment and applicable Ontario requirements.
Ontario’s worker awareness regulation identifies worker rights and duties, employer and supervisor duties, health and safety roles, common workplace hazards, WHMIS information and occupational illness as required content for a basic awareness programme. An employer must ensure that a worker completes a qualifying programme as soon as practicable, unless the regulatory exception for previous verified training applies [4]. This training entry should be treated as a planned course offering, not as proof that a particular student or placement has met every employer, school-board or construction-site requirement.
Practical workplace application
For an on-site session, the instructor can use the host workplace or a controlled training area to connect each lesson to the student’s expected tasks. Suitable activities may include a pre-job hazard review, PPE selection, identifying unsafe conditions, reading a safety data sheet, practising a clear hazard report and working through a stop-work scenario. Hands-on activities should use equipment, supervision and controls appropriate to the learners’ age, experience and placement. They do not replace task-specific instruction, supervision or an employer’s competency check.
Online theory can explain rights, responsibilities, hazards and procedures. It cannot by itself demonstrate that a student can use site equipment, wear or inspect task-specific PPE, control an energy source, respond to an emergency or perform a trade task safely. Where the placement requires practical competence, the employer and instructor should observe the task and document the evidence they require.
Choose the suitable training level
- Awareness: Choose an introductory session for students preparing for a placement or exploring a skilled trade. Focus on rights, responsibilities, common hazards, reporting and safe work expectations.
- Placement preparation: Choose a trade- or site-focused session when students are moving into co-operative education or OYAP-related work. Add the host employer’s hazards, PPE, emergency contacts, procedures and supervision plan.
- Task or equipment practice: Choose supervised practical instruction when the placement involves a defined tool, machine, vehicle, fall hazard, hazardous product or other higher-risk task. Confirm whether separate approved or employer-specific training is required before the student performs the work.
SHSM requirements are sector-specific, and Ontario states that each programme must be approved by the Ministry of Education. A school board may also add local requirements. OYAP participation is arranged through the school board’s OYAP recruiter, guidance counsellor or co-operative education teacher [2] [3]. Confirm the intended pathway and local programme requirements before booking a session.
Prepare before requesting a course
Have the school, board, employer or programme coordinator confirm:
- Which SHSM sector, OYAP pathway or workplace placement the learners are entering.
- The worksite jurisdiction, employer, supervisor and tasks students may perform.
- Known hazards, required PPE, equipment and any existing employer or board procedures.
- Whether the session is awareness, placement preparation or supervised task training.
- What attendance, assessment and training records the school or employer needs.
- Whether another approved programme is required for a regulated activity, such as working at heights on a construction project.
FAQs
Does this course automatically complete an SHSM or OYAP requirement?
No automatic outcome is stated here. SHSM has five required components, and the school or board must confirm how a specific training activity fits its approved sector programme. OYAP participation and placement arrangements are handled through the student’s school board and programme contacts [2] [3].
Is this the same as task-specific employer training?
No. General awareness and placement preparation help students understand workplace expectations. The employer still decides what orientation, supervision, equipment instruction, competency observation and records are required for the assigned work.
Can students complete the training online?
This listing is presented by Total Group as an on-site training entry. Online theory may support classroom learning, but the delivery method, practical activities and records should be confirmed for the group’s placement and the employer’s requirements.
How do we plan a session for a school or youth programme?
Contact Total Group with the learner group, SHSM sector or OYAP context, placement tasks, worksite hazards, preferred training level and any school-board or employer requirements. Total Group can then confirm the appropriate scope, delivery plan and documentation for review.
References
- Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM), Government of Ontario.
- Components of an SHSM, SHSM Policy and Implementation Guide, Government of Ontario.
- Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, Government of Ontario.
- O. Reg. 297/13, Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training, s. 1, Government of Ontario.
