It’s a first for Ontario.
The Bluewater District School Board is partnering with the University of Guelph to help smooth the path for high school students heading for a degree or diploma programs in agriculture.
Jean Stephenson is the Superintendent of School Success for the board and says the University now recognizes the boards grade 11 and 12 High Skills Major Program in Agriculture at Chesley District High School.
She says students taking these courses now don’t have to take some mandatory first year university agriculture programs and in fact can move forward and begin taking some second year courses.
Stephenson says for students who know they want a career in agriculture, these High Skills Major programs allow them to focus on where they want to go and gives them a bit of a leg up on other first year students at the University of Guelph.
She says the board is also working on a plan where students at other High Schools who want to specialize in Agriculture can attend Chesley for a semester and take the High Skill Agriculture Major, then return to their home school to finish the education.
Stephenson says the are currently three students attending Chesley this semester from other high schools in the district.
She says the board is currently working on plans to develop similar courses at other high schools dealing with other sectors of the economy like the environment and transportation.