CeVet Project - Fønix

The CeVET project is a European initiative addressing the persistent barriers faced by persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) and high support needs in accessing meaningful employment. Rooted in the UN CRPD and the Independent Living movement, CeVET adapts the Customized Employment (CE) model—originally developed in the US—to the European VET context. The project empowers individuals with disabilities to define their career goals, trains VET professionals and employers in CE principles, and implements pilot programmes across five partner countries (Norway, Spain, Italy, Germany, Ireland). CeVET promotes systemic change through advocacy and integration of CE into mainstream employment services, directly contributing to several ENIL pillars of Independent Living. By fostering inclusive employment, CeVET links vocational participation with financial independence, community inclusion, and empowerment, ensuring co-production and sustainability through collaboration among service users, employers, VET professionals, NGOs, and policymakers.


Responsible Department or Unit

International Projects Department


Target group

  • Persons with intellectual disabilities and high support needs
  • VET professionals, employment specialists, employers, policymakers

Methodologies and approaches

  • Customized Employment (CE) model
  • Person-centered planning and job matching
  • Training for VET professionals and employers
  • Pilot programmes and co-production with service users
  • Advocacy and dissemination

Innovation and creativity

  • First large-scale adaptation of CE in European VET
  • Co-design with people with ID
  • Integration of research, training, piloting, and advocacy
  • Development of a CE Job Developer’s Handbook and curricula

Support to Independent Living

  • Promotes equal employment opportunities, supported decision-making, and peer/professional support
  • Empowers people with ID to achieve autonomy, self-determination, and community participation

Staff and resources

  • Certified trainers, job coaches, project managers, and international experts
  • Digital tools, training curricula, handbooks, and accessible materials

Identifying specific needs

People with ID are co-designers of their employment pathways; their lived experience informs all stages of the project.


Other stakeholders and partners

Employers, NGOs, policymakers, and families are engaged through training, advocacy, and dissemination activities.