Students from 18 high schools across Simcoe County could be getting a chance for specialized education and training this year.

Similar to university "major" programs, areas of study being considered for include agriculture, business, health and wellness, horticulture and manufacturing. The schools and programs were on an internal Ministry of Education tentative list obtained by Simcoe.com.

The list of schools added this year includes Banting Memorial High School in Alliston, Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute, Innisdale Secondary School in Barrie, Nantyr Shores Secondary School in Alcona, Collingwood Collegiate Institute and St. Joan of Arc High School in Barrie.

The ministry would not confirm any of the new schools or which programs will be offered at them until an official announcement in September. The school board similarly will not comment until after the official launch. Different programs will be available at different schools. For instance, Alliston's Banting Memorial will be offering landscaping and agriculture, while arts and culture is offered at Barrie North Collegiate Institute.

This year there are plans to expand it to 11 more schools across the public and Catholic boards, up from seven schools last year.

Some programs were available last year at a few schools, like Barrie's Eastview Secondary School and Bradford District High School.

Students' study is focused on one specific area of the economy or workforce, so they end up with a leg up in training, and trade-recognized certification on their diplomas.

"It's really about supporting students in (different) ways, and giving them opportunities to pursue education in ways that are meaningful to them, and provides for the future of our economy," said Patricia MacNeil, from the Ministry of Education.

Among other benefits the program is designed to get dropouts back into classes and interested in their studies and keep others from dropping out in the first place.

Students taking part in the specialist high skills major program still take required English, math, and other compulsory credits, but also take trade-specific courses, MacNeil said. For example, students in the agriculture program will take classes on animal science, and crop management, while students taking transportation could end up with Drive Clean or air brake certification by the time they graduate. All programs also include co-op components, giving students hands-on training and a foot in the door for a potential job.

The Ministry launched the program during the 2006/2007 school year, as part of an initiative to keep kids in school, MacNeil said. The learning-to-18 legislation, which passed in 2005, requires students to stay in school until they turn 18, or graduate, whichever comes first. In 2003, the provincial graduation rate was at 68 per cent, but it is now 75 per cent.

"Not everybody wants to go to university, not everybody will go to university, and you have to support those that won't," said MacNeil.

People shouldn't look at the program like the vocational training of the past, she said.

"It's not about lowering standards, it's about expanding the path students can take," she said. "It's an enriched curriculum, and there are high standards to meet. It prepares students for what they want to do after high school, and that's the key."

For students who go directly into the workforce after high school, the major program will make it easier for them to get jobs, because they already have substantial training. For those looking to continue their education, the programs could offer a leg up in applying for post-secondary education, said Theresa Watt, one of the agriculture program teachers at Banting Memorial. Some post-secondary agricultural schools have already agreed to give credit for some of the high school courses.

The program is not a big shift in the province's education strategy, but instead a way to make it more robust, said MacNeil. The province does not intend to focus only on vocational education, but wants to make it available where there is demand or necessity.

For more information on the programs, contact the guidance department of your local high school during the week before school starts, or during the first week of school.

E-mail reporter Kurtis Elsner at kelsner@simcoe.com.