B. Exploring and Preparing for the World of Work · Exploring and Preparing for the World of Work

Researching and Comparing Postsecondary Destinations

B3 B3.1About 75 minutes

Learning goals

I can describe the main postsecondary destinations: apprenticeship, college, university and the workplace, and options such as a gap year, volunteering and entrepreneurship.
I can use a research process and reliable sources to find information about postsecondary options.
I can compare a few options that fit my aspirations, skills, interests, values and circumstances, and justify my choices.

Words to know

postsecondary destination
Where you go after high school: an apprenticeship, college, university, the workplace, or another option.

apprenticeship
Paid on-the-job training in a skilled trade with a qualified tradesperson, combined with classroom training.

college
A postsecondary school offering career-focused certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, graduate certificates and some degrees.

university
A postsecondary school offering bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, and professional programs.

Indigenous Institute
A First Nations-governed postsecondary school in Ontario that offers programs grounded in Indigenous knowledge, often in partnership with colleges and universities.

gap year
A planned year between high school and postsecondary studies, used for work, volunteering, travel or other learning.

entrepreneur
A person who starts and runs their own business.

admission requirements
The courses, marks and other conditions a program needs before it accepts you.

Hook: a menu, not a ladder

People sometimes talk about life after high school as a ladder, with one "best" rung at the top. It's more like a menu: different destinations suit different people, and many people combine them. A carpenter might later take a college course in construction management. A university graduate might do a college graduate certificate to get hands-on skills. Someone might work for a year, save money, and then start an apprenticeship.

The curriculum asks you to use a research process to identify and compare a few postsecondary options that fit your aspirations, skills, interests, values and circumstances: the personal profile you built in Lesson 5 and the influences you analysed in Lesson 6.

The destinations

If you took Grade 9 technology, you met Ontario's four main destinations. Here they are in more detail:

Apprenticeship: learn a skilled trade (electrician, plumber, chef, hairstylist, automotive service technician, and many more) mostly through paid on-the-job training, plus classroom training at a college or training centre. You need an employer sponsor. Skilled Trades Ontario sets training standards and issues certificates.
College: career-focused programs. Ontario college credentials include certificates (often 1 year), diplomas (often 2 years), advanced diplomas (often 3 years), graduate certificates (for people who already have a diploma or degree) and some bachelor's degrees. Many programs include work placements. You apply to Ontario's public colleges through ontariocolleges.ca.
University: degree programs (a bachelor's degree usually takes 3 or 4 years) that emphasize theory and research; graduates may continue to master's, doctoral or professional programs (such as law, medicine or teaching). You apply to Ontario universities through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC).
Workplace: go straight into a job after high school, often with on-the-job training. Many people later add training or credentials.

Other options (the curriculum names several):

Indigenous Institutes: First Nations-governed schools in Ontario, such as Six Nations Polytechnic and the First Nations Technical Institute, offering programs grounded in Indigenous knowledge, often in partnership with colleges and universities.
Gap year: a planned year of work, volunteering or travel. It works best with goals and a plan for what comes next.
Volunteering: full- or part-time service that builds skills and networks.
Entrepreneurship: starting your own business, now or after some training.

Money matters: for Canadian full-time undergraduate students, average university tuition for 2025/2026 was $7,734 (Statistics Canada, September 10, 2025), not counting books, housing and food. College tuition is often lower, and apprentices are paid for most of their training. Grants, loans (such as OSAP), bursaries and scholarships can help.

All four destinations start from high school, and they connect: college graduates can sometimes transfer credits to university, and workers can find a sponsor to start an apprenticeship.

A research process

Ask a focused question. Start from your profile: Which two or three options fit my interest code, my values and my needs?
Gather information from reliable sources:

Job Bank (jobbank.gc.ca): job duties, wages and three-year outlooks by region. For example, Job Bank rated the outlook for electricians in Ontario as moderate for 2025 to 2027 (updated December 10, 2025). Outlooks are rated on a scale from very limited to very good.
ontariocolleges.ca, OUAC and institution websites for programs and admission requirements.
Skilled Trades Ontario for trades and apprenticeship requirements.
People: guidance counsellors, recruitment officers (including Indigenous recruitment officers at many colleges and universities), people working in the field, current students.
Visits: open houses, campus tours (in person or virtual), job fairs.

Evaluate your sources. Is it current (date)? Is it official or expert? Could it be biased (a school's ad will only show the positives)? Do two sources agree?
Organize and compare using criteria that matter to you, such as fit with your interests and values, admission requirements, length, total cost, earning potential and outlook, location, and supports.
Conclude and reflect. Choose two or three options to keep exploring, and note what you still need to find out.

Research is a cycle. As you learn more (and as your profile changes), you go back and ask new questions.

Let's compare three options for Liam

Liam's interest code is RIS (hands-on, investigating, helping). He loves being outdoors, cares about the environment, wants to stay fairly close to family in Sudbury, and worries about cost. His three options: (A) a 2-year college diploma in environmental technology; (B) a 4-year university Bachelor of Science in environmental science; (C) a work-focused gap year (seasonal conservation or tree-planting work), then decide.

His criteria and weights (3 = very important): fit with interests (3), cost (2), time until earning (2), long-term options (2), close to family (1). Each option is scored out of 5.

Criterion (weight)	A: College diploma	B: University B.Sc.	C: Gap year, then decide
Fit with interests (×3)	4 → 12	5 → 15	3 → 9
Cost (×2), 5 = least expensive	4 → 8	2 → 4	5 → 10
Time until earning (×2)	4 → 8	2 → 4	5 → 10
Long-term options (×2)	4 → 8	5 → 10	2 → 4
Close to family (×1)	4 → 4	2 → 2	3 → 3
Weighted total	40	35	36

Each cell shows the score out of 5, then the score × weight.

Worked example

Let's work through Liam's comparison

Use the table. Which option fits Liam best? What should he check next?

Check the arithmetic for A: 12 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 4 = 40.
B: 15 + 4 + 4 + 10 + 2 = 35. C: 9 + 10 + 10 + 4 + 3 = 36.
Interpret: the college diploma (A) scores highest because it balances a good fit, lower cost and quicker earning. The university degree (B) fits his interests best but scores low on cost and time.
Look for a mix: many Ontario colleges have transfer agreements with universities, so a diploma might later count toward a degree. Liam should check whether his chosen program has one. That would keep option B open.
Check facts, not guesses: look up the program's admission requirements, the job outlook for environmental technicians in northern Ontario on Job Bank, and the total cost, including housing.
Talk to people: an environmental technician, the college's recruitment office, and his family.

Option A (college diploma) fits Liam's priorities best, with a total of 40. Because a transfer agreement could keep university open later, his next steps are to verify requirements, outlooks and costs, and to talk to people in the field.

Just for fun

What did the apprentice electrician say after passing the final exam? "I'm feeling positively charged, and my future looks current-ly bright." (Electricians have heard every one of these puns. Watt can you do?)

Hands-on activity

Compare three destinations that fit you

You need: your personal profile (Lesson 5), internet access, and paper or a spreadsheet.

Using your profile, choose three options that fit you, from at least two different destination types (for example, a college program, an apprenticeship and a university program, or a workplace job and a gap year).
For each, find from reliable sources: what it is, length, admission requirements, approximate cost, a related occupation's wage and Job Bank outlook for your region, and location. Record each source and date.
Choose 4 or 5 criteria, give each a weight from 1 to 3, and build a comparison table like Liam's.
Calculate the weighted totals, then do a gut check: does the result feel right? Why or why not?
Talk with one person (family member, guidance counsellor or someone in the field) about your top choice. Record one thing they told you.
Write a short conclusion: My top two options are... because... I still need to find out...

What to look for: options from at least two destination types, sources with dates, correct arithmetic, and a conclusion that refers to the student's interests, skills, values and circumstances.

Your turn

Name the four main postsecondary destinations.

What is the main difference between how apprentices and university students pay for and do their training?

Name three credentials Ontario colleges offer.

Where do students apply to Ontario's public colleges and to Ontario universities?

Give three questions to ask when evaluating a source of information about a program.

Calculate a weighted total: scores 3, 5, 2 on criteria weighted 3, 1, 2.

What makes a gap year more likely to be useful?

More practice: warm-up

What is an apprenticeship?

Which Government of Canada website gives wages and job outlooks by region?

What is an Indigenous Institute? Give one example.

What was the average undergraduate tuition for Canadian full-time students in 2025/2026, according to Statistics Canada?

What is an entrepreneur?

More practice: on your own

Explain why a school's own website might be a biased source, and how to balance it.

A student's top criterion is "start earning as soon as possible." Which destinations might score highest, and why?

How can college and university pathways connect?

Redo Liam's comparison with "close to family" weighted 3 instead of 1. Does the winner change?

Why should a student compare options from at least two different destination types?

Challenge

A student wants to become a registered nurse but can't afford to move away from her small town. Suggest at least two realistic pathways and the information she should research.

Evaluate the claim: "University is always the best choice because degree holders earn the most."

Design your own research question and list five specific sources (with what you'd look for in each) to answer it.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which destination involves paid on-the-job training in a skilled trade?

Where do students apply to Ontario's public colleges?

Which source would give the most reliable regional job outlook for an occupation?

Option X scores 4, 2 and 5 on criteria weighted 2, 3 and 1. What is its weighted total?

Which statement about postsecondary pathways is accurate?

Which is a First Nations-governed postsecondary school in Ontario?

When evaluating a source, which question is most important to ask about a program's own advertising?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Expectation B3.1 asks students to use a research process to identify and compare a few postsecondary options that fit their aspirations, skills, interests, values and circumstances (examples include apprenticeship, college, university, a gap year, volunteering and entrepreneurship). This lesson builds on the four destinations introduced in Grade 9 technology for students who took it.

How to help at home: Visit an open house (in person or virtual) together, or explore Job Bank with your teen. Share honestly what your family can afford, and look up financial aid together. Try to keep options open rather than steering toward one destination.

Common difficulties:

Using only one source, or an advertisement, as evidence.
Comparing options from only one destination type.
Treating the weighted total as the final decision. Encourage a gut check and conversations.

Note: Tuition, outlooks and requirements change every year. Check dates on everything.