Connection between VSO and HO
How can we facilitate the transition from VSO to HO? Many young people get stuck due to differences in the system, a lack of time, and poor coordination.
In collaboration with
The urgency of the transition.
Young people in special education too often face obstacles when transitioning to higher professional education or university. The current pathway slows them down and is out of step with the real world.
International co-creation.
Together with partners in Poland and the Netherlands, we are designing a program that better equips teachers and immediately makes the transition easier for students with disabilities.
The assignment
Young people with disabilities in Europe face significant barriers when transitioning to higher education. This is due to a combination of factors: systemic differences, inadequate preparation, and insufficient opportunities for personal development.
What We Do
Bridging Pathways is an Erasmus+ collaboration project (2025–2027) in which we design, test, and share together.
The question
How can we facilitate the transition from VSO to HO?
Many young people in special education struggle to make the transition to vocational, higher vocational, or university education. This is due to a combination of factors: differences in the educational systems, limited preparation, and a lack of cooperation between institutions.
The solution
Design, Test, and Share Together
Through Bridging Pathways, we develop concrete programs: a transition program for students to help them make the move from special education to further education, and a train-the-trainer program for teachers to truly embed inclusion.
Education as a starting point
Students often don’t struggle with the content itself, but with questions about their place in the program: “Do I belong here?” and “How do I navigate this new environment?” At Bridging Pathways, we support students not only in developing the skills they need, but also in finding their place. We structure our educational programs to ensure there is genuine room for different ways of participating.
What do we contribute?
For the Bildung Academy, education is not just about knowledge and skills, but about personal development: how a person relates to themselves, to others, and to the world.
This becomes particularly evident during the transition from special education to higher education. Students often don’t struggle with the subject matter itself, but with questions such as: Do I belong here? What is expected of me? How do I navigate this new environment? How can I function effectively in an independent setting when I’m used to a supportive one? And how do we put the principle “Every learner matters and matters equally” into practice?
Those aren't direct study skills, but questions about personal development.
What We Do
Bridging Pathways is an Erasmus+ collaboration project (2025–2027) in which we design, test, and share together. The project consists of five components:
1. Co-creation and Design
International design sessions that focus on students' experiences and translate them into practical solutions.
2. Transition Program for Students
A modular program that supports students in:
- study skills
- social navigation
- self-confidence and independence.
3. Train-the-trainer program
For teachers who:
- want to provide better support to students during transitional phases
- aim to embed inclusive practices
- want to strengthen cooperation between different levels of education.
4. Networking and Collaboration
We are actively building lasting connections between institutions, both within and outside the project.
5. Open knowledge sharing
All insights, tools, and programs are shared openly, so that the impact extends beyond this project.
About our role
The Bildung Academy is the lead partner in this project.
We coordinate collaboration among partners, contribute to the development of programs, and ensure that insights are translated into practical approaches to professional development and educational innovation.
In doing so, we always start by asking how change can become an integral part of existing structures rather than remaining temporary.
About the project
This Erasmus+ project runs from 2025 to 2027
The project focuses on lasting change, not on temporary interventions.
In practical terms, this means:
- students who take the plunge with greater confidence and better preparation
- teachers who are better equipped to guide students through that transition
- organizations that collaborate on a structural basis rather than on an ad hoc basis.
The programs and insights developed are integrated into existing educational practices and continue to have an impact even after the project has ended.
Personal and non-committal
Are you working on similar issues?
You may recognize this situation: you see that transitions (between educational levels) are problematic. You want to collaborate, but lack a network or a point of entry. You’re developing initiatives, but are looking to deepen your work or scale it up. If so, we’d love to hear from you.
Bridging Pathways is a collaboration between educational and professional partners in the Netherlands and Poland, including our organization, the Bildung Academie (lead partner), L’Oiseau Bleu, Mytylschool De Brug, Medyck Otwock, and the Zamenhof Foundation. The project is co-funded by the European Union.
