Occupational Health and Safety Practices of Disadvantaged Students in Vocational Education and Working Environments

<< Background >>People with special educational needs still reach workshops and internships without basic Occupational-Health-and-Safety (OHS) knowledge. National data show that only 15 % of Portuguese SEN learners — and 20 % across the EU — ever received structured OHS training, while 65 % of Portuguese VET teachers and 60 % of their European peers admit they were never trained to teach it. Seventy percent of parents fear workplace risks but lack reliable guidance. These gaps keep disadvantaged students out of the labour market and undermine Erasmus+ goals on inclusion and employability. We therefore built a small-scale partnership to: (1) equip at least 50 SEN learners (14-18) with practical, interactive OHS skills and raise their risk-awareness by 30 %; (2) upskill teachers by co-creating at least one new method and on-the-job observation, so they can deliver effective OHS education; (3) reassure families via webinars and plain-language resources that cut anxiety by 20 %; (4) exchange good practice and co-design two concrete solutions with employers and NGOs that partners can transfer nationally. In short, we applied to make VET safer, more attractive and truly inclusive for the students who need it most.<< Objectives >>We wanted to make vocational education safer and more inclusive for students with special educational needs (SEN). Our goals were to:⬩ raise the OHS awareness of ≥50 SEN learners by 30 % in 12 months ⬩ close teachers’ own OHS gaps by co-creating at least one new method and exchanging good practice among four countries ⬩ publish engaging videos/simulations that lift student awareness a further 20 % within six months ⬩ co-design two practical fixes for the OHS problems SEN learners face and test them in workshops/on-the-job training ⬩ run a Final Closing Meeting⬩ embed a “take no risk—take precautions” culture across partners and release open resources others can adoptIn short, we sought to equip disadvantaged young people with the competence and confidence to enter work safely, while giving their educators and families lasting tools to sustain that impact.<< Implementation >>Opening Meeting – Düzce, Türkiye (22-25 April 24): visited OHS unit and a special-education VET school, aligned workplan, activated Trello/WhatsApp and kicked-off dissemination.OHS Workshop – Braga, Portugal (1-5 July 24): 80+ teachers, experts, students & parents analysed risks, co-designed teaching tools and drafted two solution proposals; project website launched.Experiential Workshops – Málaga, Spain (30 September - 4 October 24): drama-based simulations with learners with special needs under OHS experts, peer review of curricula and sharing of good practice, plus intercultural study visits. ​On-the-Job Training – Baden-Württemberg, Germany (11-15 November 24): on-site observation in dual-training companies, hands-on OHS exercises and creation of workplace videos/checklists for transfer to partner schools.Ongoing actions: monthly online meetings, pre-/post-tests, bilingual newsletters, a multilingual spot-video, social-media campaign and national multiplier events guarantee monitoring, visibility and long-term use of results.Final Closing Meeting - 25 March 2025: Hybrid format (In-person at the coordinator’s location & Online for Project Partners)<< Results >>– 4 transnational events (TR, PT, ES, DE) with 36 staff + 50 SEN learners; each generated minutes, photo-reports and one shared evaluation (4 total)​​– Public multilingual website (5-year hosting), a subtitled “spot-video” and a report issued after every mobility for ongoing outreach– Interactive OHS learning toolkit (simulations, videos, worksheets) that has already lifted student risk-awareness– One new teaching method/technique closing teachers’ OHS knowledge gap and now embedded in partner curricula​​– Two solution proposals on safer workplaces for disadvantaged trainees, delivered to local VET providers and authorities​​– Compendium of good practices exchanged among partners and disseminated nationally– Final Closing Meeting (presencial & online)– OHS awareness grew among students, while teachers feel more competent and are applying the “Take no Risk — Take Precautions” approach across all four institutions.