Pioneering Programme Offers New Hope
More than five hundred young people with special educational needs (NEAE) in the Canary Islands are discovering their vocation thanks to Adapted Vocational Training (FP). This pioneering programme, designed by the regional Ministry of Education, is a first of its kind in Europe. The goal of these new pathways, now in their second year, is to guarantee education for this sector of the student population. Beyond the age of 16, these students previously had no educational offer, as the system was not obliged to keep them in school.
A Trailblazing Centre in Tenerife
The IES María Rosa Alonso, in the Santa Cruz district of Añaza, became a pioneering centre in the Canaries, and indeed in the rest of Spain, by introducing adapted training for NEAE students over the age of 21. To offer the first courses, they had to refurbish part of their facilities, which now host different cycles. The teaching team hopes these can be expanded in coming years, given the positive response from families and the students who have benefited from the Ministry of Education’s initiative.
A Unique and Expanding Model
With this initiative, the Canary Islands stands as the only autonomous community in Spain to offer a programme of this kind that is not confined to a university setting. The project’s aim is to guarantee full access to Vocational Training for all citizens, as the Ministry of Education maintains it is a key tool for equal opportunities, promoting inclusion and enabling everyone to access new prospects.
The programme has grown from 56 pathways last academic year to 66 this year and is currently taught in public and state-subsidised private schools across all the islands. These courses, in their training itineraries for over-16s (IFE+16) and over-21s (IFC+21), combine a year of training at the educational centre with work placements. They include shared teaching, personalised support and an adapted curriculum.
Pathways to Employment
The seven professional fields offered in the Canaries – Administration, Commerce, Agriculture, Personal Image, Hospitality, Cleaning and Auxiliary Services – are linked to sectors with the highest opportunities for job placement for this group, according to various national studies. This new model of Adapted FP began in the Canary Islands in the 2024/2025 academic year with 54 groups. In the current year, this number has increased to 62, with over 530 students across the Archipelago. It has also evolved to incorporate the Dual modality, giving students knowledge of the real working world.
Overcoming Challenges and Celebrating Success
The headteacher of IES María Rosa Alonso, Víctor González, admits it was a challenge to launch these new cycles, as many teachers had not worked with people with special educational needs before. However, the need for this training has become more than evident, and the results are so positive that the teachers themselves are now calling for more pathways to meet student demand. The pupils are delighted to be able to train in an inclusive environment.
Student Voices: Thais and Daniel
Thais Cabello and Daniel Miranda are two of the young people who have benefited from the IFE +21, aimed at people over 21 and under 30 with a recognised disability of 33% or more who are registered as job seekers. Cabello is one of the veteran students in this initiative, having enrolled several times in some of the cycles included in the Adapted FP at IES María Rosa Alonso. At 24, she is also part of the school council and is thrilled to have found this programme, which has allowed her to meet teachers and students who have changed her life after suffering bullying at other schools.
She is so pleased with the Ministry of Education’s initiative that she would like to continue studying for a few more years, but the available pathways are running out. She does not hesitate to request an expansion of the project so she can continue her training.
Daniel Miranda is a former student of this Santa Cruz de Tenerife centre and currently works at the Special Employment Centre of the Fundación Hospitalarias, where he completed the work placement included in the over-21s itinerary. He works there as cleaning staff and, while delighted with the opportunity, he is also eager to continue studying, this time in barbering. However, this is training not included in the Adapted FP, so he joins his colleague Thais Cabello in calling for the Canary Islands to continue advancing towards full training for people with disabilities.
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