About FIT
Focus on Information Technology
W. L. Mackenzie Collegiate Institute offers a national certification program that will enable students to earn industry standard certifications in programming and engineering, and in Media & Communications Arts . This unique opportunity for high school students is made possible through the Information and Communications Technology Council of Canada as part of the Education/Sector Council Partnership Project.
FIT Certification
There are four levels to this national certification available within Mackenzie. The requirements for each level are outlined below:
| FIT Certificate |
FIT Certificate – Work Experience Seal
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| FIT Certificate – Gold Seal & Industry | FIT Certificate – Industry Seal |
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Course Planning
Course Recommendations
Computer programming should be taken before the senior computer engineering courses.
- ICS 3U and ICS 4U should be taken consecutively in grade 11. As ICS 4U is a very heavy course it is strongly recommended that it not be done in grade 12!
- TEJ 3M and TEJ 4M should be taken consecutively in either grade 11 or 12.
Co-operative Education Course
Students who also successfully complete a co-op component or summer internship will be eligible for the work experience seal, which is required for the gold seal & industry.
Advanced Placement Course (ICS 4UO)
The advanced placement course is an option available to any CS students. See the “AP” tab in the navigation menu above for more information on Mackenzie’s AP courses.
Post-Secondary Opportunities
Ryerson University, George Brown College and Centennial College have agreed to offer advanced standing for students who have graduated from the FIT program. Advanced standing facilitates easier entry into post-secondary programs and provides students with a head start in their pursuit of either a technology diploma or degree. Several other post secondary colleges and universities have also been approached.
According to college professors, FIT students graduate with marks that are 16-20 percent higher than other post secondary students. Further, FIT students have reported finding better co-operative education placements in university.
University Degree Programs
Many university degree programs have courses that include computer programming and computer engineering. High school students are encouraged to examine degree program course calendars beyond first year as several university degree programs have courses embedded in them in subsequent years. Exposure to programming and engineering concepts in high school increases chances of student success. Students without this background often find these courses difficult because they focus on logic and problem solving from a different perspective not usually taught in a “traditional” high school course.
The following degree programs have compulsory or optional courses that focus on IT. We recommend ICS 3M as the minimum requirement:
Arts Degrees
- Cognitive or Earth Sciences
- Environmental Studies
- Geographical Analysis
- Kinesiology & Health Science
- Linguistics
- Psychology
Business Degrees
- Administrative Studies
- Economics
- Management & Business Systems
Mathematics Degrees
- Biostatistics
- Computational Mathematics
- Statistics
- Mathematics
- Applied Mathematics
- Mathematics & Business Administration
Science Degrees
- Actuarial Science
- Animal Physiology Specialization
- Astronomy & Astrophysics
- Biogeography, Biochemistry
- Bioinformatics, Biology
- Biomedical Science
- Chemistry
- Geological Sciences
- Earth & Atmospheric Science
- Ecology, Environmental Science
- Medical Physics
- Microbiology Specialization
- Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Specialization
- Plant Biology Specialization
- Physics and Astronomy
- Science and Aviation,
- Space Science
Computer Science FIT is also included in ALL Computer degree programs. Students who plan to pursue a career in these areas should complete ICS 3M and ICS 4M in high school.
- Artificial Intelligence Option
- Computer Game Development
- Computer Science
- Computer Science & Economics
- Computer Science Law
- Computer Science & Mathematics
- Computer Science & Physics
- Computer Science Psychology
- Computer Science & Statistics
- Computer Security
- Computing and Financial Management
- Information Systems Option
- Human-Computer Interaction
Engineering
FIT is also included in ALL Engineering degree programs. Students who plan to pursue a career in these areas should complete both the computer programming courses (ICS 3M and ICS 4M) as well as both computer engineering courses (TEJ 3M and TEJ 4M) in high school.
- Aerospace
- Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Communications Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Computer Systems Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Geological Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Materials Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Mechatronics Engineering
- Mineral Engineering
- Nanotechnology Engineering
- Software Engineering
- Systems Design Engineering
Essential Skills
Essential Skills are the skills needed for work, learning and life. They provide the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to workplace change. They were developed by Human Resource and Skills Development Canada.
Through extensive research, the Government of Canada and other national and international agencies have identified and validated nine Essential Skills. These skills are used in nearly every occupation and throughout daily life in different ways and at different levels of complexity.
These skills are important to both students and their parents because the emphasis and prominence of each skill is different for each career path.
9 Essential Skills
- Reading Text
- Document Use
- Writing
- Numeracy
- Thinking Skills
- Oral Communication
- Working with Others
- Computer Use
- Continuous Learning
Each of these skills has a specific set of criteria which can be measured at different levels of competency. The essential skills are embedded within all of our courses at Mackenzie.
Essential Skills & W. L. Mackenzie CI
W.L.Mackenzie CI is part of a pilot project to highlight the Essential Skills within each subject area. Through the program, students and parents are becoming more aware of their importance in today’s job market.
National Occupational Classification
Approximately 250 Essential Skills profiles have been developed for various occupations of the National Occupational Classification. To date, profiles have been completed for all occupations requiring a high school education or less. Research is ongoing to complete occupations requiring university, college or apprenticeship training.
Each occupational profile includes: A brief description of the occupation, alist of the most important Essential Skills, examples of tasks that illustrate how each Essential Skill is applied, complexity ratings that indicate the level of difficulty, the physical aspects of performing the job and the attitudes that workers feel are needed to do the job well, and future trends affecting Essential Skills.
These profiles can be used to help students and parents: learn more about the skills you need in various occupations, develop workplace training programs, learning plans, or job descriptions, investigate career options, and, create educational tools to enhance skills development.
Resources
For more information on the Information and Communications Technology Council: www.ictc-ctic.ca
For more information on the CISCO industry certification offered at Mackenzie: www.cisco.com
For more information on information technologies: www.comptia.org
For more information on the FIT certificate: http://www.focusit.ca/students/current-students/fit-certificates/
Industry Partners