Integrating young refugees into VET: do German active labor market programs make a difference?; Integration junger Geflüchteter in die berufliche Ausbildung: Wie zielführend sind berufsbezogene Fördermaßnahmen in Deutschland?

Funding text 1: This research was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), grant number: 01JG2107.; Funding text 2: In recent years, numerous active labor market programs (ALMPs) for refugees have been launched in Germany, while existing programs have been expanded. The general objective of ALMPs is to enhance the participants\u2019 employability in the host country and thus to reduce their likelihood of being dependent on the social security system (Calmfors ). Two of the most important ALMPs for refugees in Germany are the so-called ESF-BAMF program, which is jointly funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), and various measures provided by the Federal Employment Agency (FEA). These programs combine vocational qualification and language training with the explicit aim of improving the participants\u2019 chances of transitioning to VET and the labor market in Germany. These programs seek to inform the refugees about the importance of obtaining a VET certificate to gain a favorable position in the German labor market and actively support them in improving their language and professional skills, which are required to pursue a VET program. This should be particularly beneficial for refugees just under the age of 30, who are more likely to come into contact with the German VET system for the first time. In addition, it can be assumed that participation in an ALMP signals to would-be employers the willingness to work and socially integrate into a company and thus minimizes potential reservations among recruiters towards them, which should increase their chances of being hired.; Funding text 3: Lateral entry into the VET system can be considered a highly promising prospect for the socio-economic integration of young refugees in Germany. In this respect, however, they face significant obstacles because of their frequent lack of knowledge of the German VET system as well as uncertainty among companies about their skills and qualifications. This applies in particular to refugees aged just under 30, who have generally had fewer opportunities to familiarize themselves with the German VET system and are often considered by recruiters in the dual sector to be comparatively difficult to manage and integrate into the company\u2019s social working environment (Imdorf ). In recent years, numerous active labor market programs (ALMPs) for refugees have been initiated and expanded in Germany, in which participants are informed about the importance of obtaining a VET degree for achieving a favorable position in the labor market and are actively supported in acquiring language and professional skills that are necessary for entering both VET and the labor market. The two best-known of these programs are the so-called ESF-BAMF program, which is jointly funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), and the various measures provided by the Federal Employment Agency (FEA). Although they represent the main programs provided by these two separate institutions for this purpose, their effectiveness in supporting refugees\u2019 integration into the VET system has not yet been evaluated. To close this gap, the study presented in this article has examined whether participation in one of these ALMPs is associated with increased chances of refugees aged 18\u201330 taking up VET. It has also analyzed whether participation in one of the programs is associated with a stronger increase in the respective chances for older refugees compared to younger ones.

Funding text 1: This research was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), grant number: 01JG2107.; Funding text 2: In recent years, numerous active labor market programs (ALMPs) for refugees have been launched in Germany, while existing programs have been expanded. The general objective of ALMPs is to enhance the participants\u2019 employability in the host country and thus to reduce their likelihood of being dependent on the social security system (Calmfors ). Two of the most important ALMPs for refugees in Germany are the so-called ESF-BAMF program, which is jointly funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), and various measures provided by the Federal Employment Agency (FEA). These programs combine vocational qualification and language training with the explicit aim of improving the participants\u2019 chances of transitioning to VET and the labor market in Germany. These programs seek to inform the refugees about the importance of obtaining a VET certificate to gain a favorable position in the German labor market and actively support them in improving their language and professional skills, which are required to pursue a VET program. This should be particularly beneficial for refugees just under the age of 30, who are more likely to come into contact with the German VET system for the first time. In addition, it can be assumed that participation in an ALMP signals to would-be employers the willingness to work and socially integrate into a company and thus minimizes potential reservations among recruiters towards them, which should increase their chances of being hired.; Funding text 3: Lateral entry into the VET system can be considered a highly promising prospect for the socio-economic integration of young refugees in Germany. In this respect, however, they face significant obstacles because of their frequent lack of knowledge of the German VET system as well as uncertainty among companies about their skills and qualifications. This applies in particular to refugees aged just under 30, who have generally had fewer opportunities to familiarize themselves with the German VET system and are often considered by recruiters in the dual sector to be comparatively difficult to manage and integrate into the company\u2019s social working environment (Imdorf ). In recent years, numerous active labor market programs (ALMPs) for refugees have been initiated and expanded in Germany, in which participants are informed about the importance of obtaining a VET degree for achieving a favorable position in the labor market and are actively supported in acquiring language and professional skills that are necessary for entering both VET and the labor market. The two best-known of these programs are the so-called ESF-BAMF program, which is jointly funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), and the various measures provided by the Federal Employment Agency (FEA). Although they represent the main programs provided by these two separate institutions for this purpose, their effectiveness in supporting refugees\u2019 integration into the VET system has not yet been evaluated. To close this gap, the study presented in this article has examined whether participation in one of these ALMPs is associated with increased chances of refugees aged 18\u201330 taking up VET. It has also analyzed whether participation in one of the programs is associated with a stronger increase in the respective chances for older refugees compared to younger ones.