Background: In many countries, the goal of secondary education for students with intellectual disabilities is to transition to the labour market. However, research and reviews consistently show that employment rates are very low for graduates with intellectual disabilities. The aim of this article is to scrutinise the preparation for school-to-work transition in Norwegian upper secondary education and employment services to elicit what really goes on.

Methods: This article is an in-depth interpretation of two earlier published, empirical Norwegian studies of upper secondary education for students with intellectual disabilities and their school-to-work transitions.

Findings: Analysis of the characteristics of Norwegian upper secondary education identified a trajectory away from the labour market—reinforced by the social security and support systems.

Conclusion: Drawing on Argyris & Schön’s (Organisational learning: A theory of action perspective, Addison Wesley, Reading, MA, 1978) classic work on “espoused theory and theory-in-use,” the analysis identified a hidden curriculum based on a perception of “realistic” ambitions which pave the way for a graduate life consisting, mostly, of welfare services.