DCU report launched following decade-long research on the WALK PEER Supported Transition programme
The WALK PEER Programme was developed as a ‘Supported Transition’ model in 2013 with the aim of Bridging the Gap between leaving special school and successfully transitioning to mainstream further education, training and employment in the open labour market. Ireland has one of the largest disability employment gaps in the EU while at the same time there is no dedicated provision for career guidance or supported transition in our special schools and where young people generally transition to day care services while facing other barriers to enable them to access the same opportunities and post school pathways as their non-disabled peers.
The Progressing Accessible Supported Transitions to Employment Longitudinal Study (PASTEL) Report from DCU found that across nine years the programme has supported 275 students in Cavan, Cork, Dublin, Louth and Westmeath with an average of nearly 30% of participants progressing to mainstream further education, training, or employment.
‘Considering the structural barriers facing young people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism, these results represent a meaningful and sustained contribution to improving labour market access and inclusion,’ said Dr Ger Scanlon, report author and associate professor at the School of Human Development at DCU.
Dr Scanlon added, ‘although 70% of participants transitioned into HSE-funded disability services, school’s participating in the WALK PEER programme between 2021 to 2025 show more pronounced movement toward mainstream pathways for these young people.’
Joe Mason, CEO of WALK said:
‘In the absence of dedicated career guidance counsellors and formal Transition Year (TY) programmes in our special schools, the WALK PEER careers & employment facilitators play a vital and unique role. They coordinate and support not only the student but also their family, the school, the further education/training provider, and prospective employers while ensuring a truly person-centred pathway.
He added, 'what distinguishes the WALK PEER model is its continuity of support from school by providing tailored support for up to three years after a student leaves school. Our experience shows that this sustained, collaborative approach strengthens mainstream progression in further education, training, and open labour market employment, setting a new benchmark for transition policy in Ireland.'
This research captures the experiences of all stakeholders participating in a pilot of the WALK PEER programme in seven special schools and three mainstream post-primary schools in several geographical areas in Ireland; these stakeholders included senior-cycle students, their parents and guardians, and school staff.
The report was launched by Emer O’Shea Head of Community engagement Inclusion Ireland.