Purpose To investigate how completing vocational re-training influenced income and employment days of working-age people with disabilities in the first 8 years after program admission. The investigation also included the influence of vocational re-training on the likelihood of receiving an earnings incapacity pension and on social security benefit receipt. Methods This retrospective cohort study with 8 years follow up was based on data from 2399 individuals who had completed either a 1-year vocational re-training program (n = 278), or a 2-year vocational re-training program (n = 1754) or who were admitted into re-training but never completed the program (n = 367). A propensity score-based method was used to account for observed differences and establish comparability between program graduates and program dropouts. Changes in outcomes were examined using the inverse probability-weighted regression adjustment method. Results After controlling for other factors, over the 8 years after program admission, graduates of 1-year re-training, on average, were employed for an additional 405 days, 95% CI [249 days, 561 days], and had earned €24,260 more than without completed re-training, 95% CI [€12,805, €35,715]. Two-year program completers, on average, were employed for 441 additional days, 95% CI [349 days, 534 days], and had earned €35,972 more than without completed re-training, 95% CI [€27,743, €44,202]. The programs also significantly reduced the number of days on social-security and unemployment benefits and lowered the likelihood of an earnings incapacity pension. Conclusion Policies to promote the labor market re-integration of persons with disabilities should consider that vocational re-training may be an effective tool for sustainably improving work participation outcomes.Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

ZusammenfassungDer Beitrag untersucht auf der Grundlage von Leistungsdaten der Volkshochschul-Statistik und einer Sonderbefragung der Volkshochschulen (VHS), wie sich während des ersten Lockdowns im Pandemiejahr 2020 die Programmvielfalt des Angebots verändert hat. Besonderes Augenmerk liegt auf der Programmstruktur, definiert als die Anteile der jeweiligen inhaltlichen Programmbereiche am Gesamtprogramm. Die Analysen zeigen, dass das Veranstaltungsangebot der VHS während des ersten Lockdowns deutlich zurückgegangen ist. Dabei gewannen Einzelveranstaltungen gegenüber Kursen im Lockdown an Bedeutung. Da sich die Umsetzung von digitalen Veranstaltungen zwischen den Programmbereichen stark unterschied, zeigt sich in der Programmstruktur eine deutliche Verschiebung.

No abstract