Short-term training variety for welfare recipients: the effects of different training types

Since 2005, jobless employable individuals have to be available for the labour market with various activation programmes helping them. One major programme is short-term training teaching certain skills or assisting in job search. However, little is known about the effectiveness of such a short programme for welfare recipients. This study evaluates the effects of seven short-term training types in the introduction period of the reform in spring 2005 on the individual probability of being regularly employed. I use large German administrative datasets and propensity score matching. The results show that within-company training has large positive effects. Furthermore, skill training is more effective than other types. However, comparing skill training participants pair-wise with others does not result in consistent positive effects.