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One of the most critical moments for young people with intellectual disabilities is their transition to adulthood and employment. It is necessary to make visible the talent of young people with intellectual disabilities to increase the level of employment in this group. Supported employment is a model of inclusion in competitive employment for people with special difficulties. In our work: (1) we analyse the educational system in Wales and the Canary Islands, from the perspective of students with special educational needs; (2) we address the process of transition to employment in both regions, highlighting the main milestones and obstacles to overcome; and (3) we analyse the current situation regarding Supported Employment programmes in Wales and the Canary Islands, highlighting their good practices, such as the Engage to Change Project and the Sinpromi Programme (both programmes promote Supported Employment and are presented as examples of good practice). Although Wales has a more developed vision than the Canary Islands, regarding the transition of young people with intellectual disabilities to employment, there are certain barriers that equally hinder the transition to employment in the two regions. Support, as an element to ensure equal opportunities and to promote the development of a more inclusive and sustainable society, is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competitive employment transition of people with intellectual disabilities in the Canary Islands has shortcomings; hence the Supported Employment programme of is being implemented. This is a model of labour inclusion for people with significant disabilities, based on the accompaniment and support to the person to facilitate their access to employment. This accompaniment and support are provided by the figure of the job coach. The aims of our study are 1) to know the importance of the job coach from the point of view of professionals working in Supported Employment services; 2) to explore the relevance of the previous professional training of the subjects for the success of their inclusion. A qualitative study was carried out with professionals linked to Supported Employment programs in the Canary Islands, using the focus group technique. The results indicate that: 1) the job coach is key to the success of the job placement, being important the support provided to the person and the company; 2) training in basic job skills can be related to successful insertion, also "training on demand". The role of Supported Employment as an alternative to guarantee the right to social and labour inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]