Further Education

High School Diploma Requirements

First of all before you go on to do any sort of further education you need your high school diploma. In general before a student is eligible for CEGEP and University admission, the student must first graduate from high school. To be awarded the Quebec Secondary School Diploma, a student must meet the following five requirements:

1. Pass enough courses in grade 10 and 11 (cycle 2) to achieve a total of at least 54 credits.
2. The student must pass enough courses in grade 11 (cycle 2) to achieve a minimum of 20 credits.

   Compulsory Courses

3. Pass History 414 or Histoire 414 (History of Quebec and Canada).

4. Pass grade 11 English.
5. Pass grade 11 French

Admission Requirements for:

• Vocational Education
• University
• CEGEP
• College
• Apprenticeship

Get on the right track

What does the word Career mean to you? For some people this means good job prospects, earning good salaries and status. Others may consider a career to be working to improve the society they live in or to make intellectual advances in a particular subject area. Most people however share a common vision: to find work that interests, stimulates and challenges them. A career is the sum total of paid and unpaid work you will do in your lifetime. In today’s world of work ‘career’ is identified as being the process of learning and development.

Four Career Myths…

1. Everyone should know what they want to do by the time they leave school at 16.                                                                                                                          This is not true. A very small minority of students know what it is that they want to do when they leave school. However, the majority of students will discover their ‘ideal’ career by a process of trial and error during their lifetime.

2. Having a degree makes it easier for you to find a job/career.                          It is true that qualifications do make you more employable, but that includes vocational qualifications, college diploma, university degree or any other recognized qualification. There are hundreds of modern day careers to choose from and many of them do not require a degree.

3. If you choose the wrong career the first time around all is lost.           These days many graduates will spend six months to several years ‘trying out’ several careers/jobs, until they find their ideal career. Remember – any job that you do will give you valuable skills and experience, even though you may not think so at the time.

4. You have to choose a career related to the subject/area in which you have studied at college/university.                                                                          Around 60% of employers hire people out side of their subject area. Remember the skills you learn in college/university are all transferable.

What Do You Want To Be?

With so many different career possibilities available to you, how do you make a decision? Once you have decided on a career path, how do you get there? One way to plan your future is to set goals for yourself in the form of a career plan. Your career plan should outline the steps you need to take to succeed in reaching your specific goals.

Here are some ways to help you develop a career plan:

1. Develop a career plan to determine your interests and skills. Write a list of the things you like to do. Think about the experiences you have enjoyed in the past.
2. Now make a list of all the skills you have acquired over the years. Training received, any volunteer work and other skills you have such as sports or public speaking.
3. Make a collection of all your certificates, reference letters and photographs to put into a Personal Education Plan (PEP). To find out more about PEP’s go to Best Practices for Personal Education Plans.
4. Find out about different careers you may be interested in. Research the demand for this type of job in the local area, or would you have to move away?
5. Once you have determined the career path you want to follow, assess what you need to do to prepare for that particular career. Will you need any special training? If so it is important to research the institutions that offer the training you need. Remember all institutions will offer a different course content so it is important to find the right course for you.
6. Find out what sort of experience you will need to be successful in the career you have chosen. Consider volunteering or work placement (see Aim Higher) as a way to gain experience in the career field you have chosen that way you will gain hands on experience. If you don’t like it you will have time to change your mind.