title: [Are Two-Year Vocational Retraining Programs Really Better than One-Year Programs? Findings of a Propensity Score Matched Analysis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze if one- and 2-year vocational retraining programs achieve similar effects on employment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analyses were performed with longitudinal administrative data. We included persons aged 18-59 years, who started their retraining between January and June 2005. One- and 2-year program participants were matched by propensity scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The matched groups were balanced regarding all baseline scores (one-year program: n=514; 2-year program: n=514). 4 and 5 years after start of the vocational retraining program, annual income, the duration of welfare benefits and the risk of a disability pension were comparable in both groups. However, the accumulative income between 2005 and 2009 was 9 294 Euro higher (95% CI: 3 656-14 932 Euro) in one-year retraining participants. Moreover, participants of one-year programs received less welfare benefits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The development of a vocational rehabilitation strategy needs to consider the accumulative advantage of one-year programs.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Sozialmedizin und Epidemiologie, Universität zu Lübeck.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bethge
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Rehabilitation, Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund, Berlin.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Streibelt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004518:Education, Professional, Retraining / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D057216:Propensity Score; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult