The Conference Board of Canada has identified a number of fundamental employability skills which will equip students for success in the current work force and continued participation in a dynamic and ever-evolving work landscape. These skills fall into four broad categories: communication, information management, numeracy, and problem solving.[1] Our program will be unique in selecting a specific set of core Social Sciences and Humanities courses that encompasses these critical foundational skills. The courses will be taught in such a way that students will be able to articulate and actively apply the employability skills and knowledge they have acquired and graduate with a portfolio demonstrating this achievement. A capstone experiential learning project will enable students to showcase their learning. The DASSH program will also provide a background that is fundamental to training engaged, informed citizens.
Description
Through a program of selected core Social Sciences and Humanities courses the DASSH diploma will provide coordinated, intensive instruction in
- critical thinking and problem solving
- reading, writing and communication skills
- numeracy and financial literacy
- visual, information, and technology literacy.
Students will gain essential knowledge and practical skills that are the foundation for many knowledge-based professions and careers in business, journalism, law, government and non-governmental organizations, community groups etc. The core curriculum would cover basic economic theory, psychology, ethics, sociology, elementary statistics, Canadian political and legal institutions, Canadian history, and literature. Courses from other disciplines such as computer applications and programming, and reading and preparing financial statements will enhance the applicability of these skills. A capstone course will consist of an experiential learning project that will enable students to apply their learning.
In summary, DASSH aims to produce students who have a set of foundational skills for effective communication, and adaptability, and the tools to apply those skills in areas of employment and citizenship where social sciences and humanities education is required or an asset. Students completing the Diploma may also go on to pursue degrees in social sciences and humanities or other degrees related to their interests, and be well prepared for life-long learning.
[1] “Employability Skills 2000+,” Conference Board of Canada, http://www.conferenceboard.ca/Libraries/EDUC_PUBLIC/esp2000.sflb