Supporting young adults with special educational needs (SEN) in obtaining higher qualifications

Young people with special educational needs (SEN) frequently leave school with few or no qualifications and low skills. They are generally more likely to be unemployed, to depend on welfare benefits and are at greater risk of social exclusion. Those who are relatively successful in the labour market often earn less and are in less secure employment than their non-disabled counterparts. Supporting this group to attain higher qualifications is critical to the overall economic and social objectives of the EU. This short report gives examples of what approaches have been shown to be successful in supporting persons with SEN to acquire the necessary qualifications to enter tertiary education, move on to tertiary education and to overcome difficulties they encounter during tertiary education.