School-College-Work Initiative
School-College-Work Initiative
Dual Credit Program
Get a glimpse of the college experience while completing your Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)!
Attend college classes, experience life at Northern College and earn your final credits towards your Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) that are transferrable to your college diploma or apprenticeship certification.
Get a head start on college classes and your future career with the Dual Credit Program by experiencing college-level classes first-hand, getting to know faculty, staff and services at Northern College, and gain a new perspective on your future as a college student.
About the School-College-Work Initiative
The School-College-Work Initiative is a co-operative effort with a mandate to assist in creating a seamless transition for students from secondary school to college. In addition to a wide array of learning and awareness opportunities for students, teachers, parents and the broader community, projects have been developed to provide dual credit programs for secondary students through the partnership of secondary schools and colleges.
The School-College-Work Initiative (SCWI) is jointly supported by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD). SCWI is co-managed under the leadership of the Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE) and the Committee of (College) Presidents.
For more information, visit SCWI.ca
The Dual Credit Program is a School-College Work Initiative (SCWI) that allows students who have not yet completed their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) to take college courses that count towards both their OSSD as well as their college diploma or apprenticeship certification.
The Dual Credit Program is a great to ease the transition from high school to college while completing your Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).
If you are thinking of working in skilled trades, the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) is a great opportunity to explore your future career and start acquiring apprenticeship hours and co-op training with potential employers while completing your Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
The OYAP is a School to Work program that opens the door for students to explore and work in apprenticeship occupations starting in Grade 11 or Grade 12 through the Cooperative Education program.
At the end of the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, students earn a high school diploma and have a great head start toward a career in a skilled trade. Students may choose to stay with the co-op company, open a business or use the experience as a jump start to further education in technology or engineering at a college or university.
For more information, visit ontario.ca/page/prepare-apprenticeship.
The Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program allows you to customize your high school education to suit your career interests and develop specialized skills, certifications and training while gaining credits toward your Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
The SHSM is a Ministry of Education approved program for Grade 11 and 12 students heading for apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace and want to identify, explore and refine their career goals to make informed choices about their next steps after high school.
The SHSM program consists of completing industry certifications, such as first aid and CPR, participating in co-op placement training and completing a specific bundle of 8-10 courses in the selected field. Students who successfully complete an SHSM receive an Ontario Secondary School Diploma with an embossed SHSM seal, an SHSM record documenting their achievement, and formal recognition on their Ontario Student Transcript.
For more information, visit ontario.ca/page/specialist-high-skills-major.
The Dual Credit Program at Northern College
Northern College offers a variety of post-secondary programs and apprenticeships to explore through the Dual Credit Program.
The Dual Credit Program covers all costs, including tuition, textbooks and course materials, student services, campus amenities, parking passes, and transportation.
We work with school boards throughout Northeastern Ontario to provide Dual Credit opportunities to students at nine high schools from Moose Factory to New Liskeard and everything in between.
- District School Board Ontario North East
- James Bay Lowland Secondary School
- Mamawmatawa Holistic Education Centre
- Moose Cree Education Authority
- Northeastern Catholic District School Board
Contact your school’s Guidance Counselor for more information!
Course Credits You Can Earn
Course credits earned as a student of the Dual Credit Program can be used towards your future college program to jump start your college experience. Below is a sample of some of the many courses you can complete through the Dual Credit Program with Northern College. Contact us for more information!
Abnormal Psychology
Anatomy and Physiology
AutoCAD
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Basic Welding
Canadian Law
Conflict Resolution
Communications I
Computer Applications
Critical Thinking
Community Policing
Criminology
Crisis Intervention
Emergency Patient Care
Entrepreneurship
Emergency Patient Care
Health & Nutrition
Health & Safety
Industrial Indoctrination
Introduction to Business
Issues in Environmental Sustainability
Intermediate Welding
Law and Ethics
Managing for Success
Measuring Instruments
Popular Nutrition
Provincial Offences
Residential Wiring
Youth in Conflict with the Law
And more!
Please note that course availability follows the Northern College schedule and is not guaranteed to run every semester. Please inquire for more information.
Eligibility & More Information
The Dual Credit Program is for students working towards their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) and interested in exploring a post-secondary pathway, whether college, apprenticeship or the workplace.
The Dual Credit Program might be right for you if you are one or more of the following:
- at risk of not graduating (OSSD)
- enrolled in a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program
- enrolled in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP)
- an early school leaver, under the age of 21 and close to completing your OSSD
More information can be found on the Government of Ontario website.
The Dual Credit Program is a great opportunity to finish your OSSD in a unique environment.
All Dual Credit courses are college-level courses, with a college instructor and college-level textbook. If you are curious about going to college, then the Dual Credit Program will give you the opportunity to explore college while in high school.
While the Dual Credit Program offers many rewarding opportunities, students must be aware that college courses are both interesting and challenging. The grades you earn in the Dual Credit Program will permanently become part of your secondary and post-secondary school record.
If you are interested in registering for a Dual Credit Program, please discuss your eligibility with your Guidance Counselor at your high school.
Student Guide to Dual Credits
You are embarking on an exciting new type of learning experience. This handbook contains everything you need to know about dual credits.
Academic Policies & Procedures
Policies and procedures are important documents that guide students, staff and faculty on a variety of academic and operational areas.
Information for Instructors
The Instructors Guide for Dual Credits was developed for program instructors.