"Jönköping University is unique with its many HVE programmes"

"Jönköping University (JU) is unique in the country in that it offers so many Higher Vocational Eeducation (HVE) programmes."

This was said by Magnus Wallerå, Director General of the Swedish Agency for HVE, when he visited JU on 14 November.

Magnus Wallerå has been Director General of the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education for a little over a year and says that he has spent quite a lot of time visiting Higher Vocational Education (HVE) institutes all around the country.

"I am out gathering impressions of what HVE programmes look like, meeting students, those who work with HVEs and those from working life who are involved in creating these programmes. And I will continue to do so," he says.

"A great discussion"

It was his first time at JU. He met Måns Svensson, President of JU, Mats Kihlman, Head of the Department of Higher Vocational Education at the School of Engineering (JTH), Ingrid Wadskog, Managing Director and Dean at JTH, and Annica Herentz Brobakken, Deputy Associate Dean of Education at the School of Health and Welfare and responsible for its assignment and HVE activities. They explained for Magnus Wallerå how JU’s HVE activities and the university activities interact and strengthen each other.

"We had a great discussion, and I am happy for the wide range of Higher Vocational Educations that JU offers. They are absolutely the largest in the country among universities,” says Magnus Wallerå.

He also visited Higher Vocational Education Jönköping (Yrkeshögskolan Jönköping), which is a collaboration partner to HVE at JU, where he met educators, students and representatives of working life.

"Important tool for skills supply"

Magnus Wallerå emphasizes that skills shortages are the biggest challenge for industry and that what is in demand is largely professional competence, not least at upper secondary and post-secondary level.

“In this respect, higher education, with its strong link to the hiring profession, is an important means of supplying skills to Swedish working life. We are based solely on the needs of the labour market and are now increasing the proportion of courses in technology and manufacturing, as well as data and IT, because the labour market largely demands such skills”, he says.

Måns Svensson emphasizes that the visit is important and enables discussions about future collaborations and development opportunities in terms of HVE.

"We want to offer programmes that meet the needs of the labour market and give our students cutting-edge skills that make them ready for working life. This benefits both students and the business community in the region," says Måns Svensson.

For and with working life

Mats Kihlman and Annica Herentz Brobakken both think it was a very rewarding visit and a good opportunity for them to present the versatile HVE activities they have at JU.

“We clearly showed that we conduct education for and with working life. We have a very good and constructive relationship with Agency and feel that we have support from them,” says Mats Kihlman.

“The reason for our success with HVE training is the established collaboration we have with the region, the county's municipalities and industry organizations. This was a good opportunity for us to discuss issues that directly affect our business today and in the future,” says Annica Herentz Brobakken.