"This school is designed so that you don't have to relearn when you get out!"

Hälsohögskolans fasad framför en blå himmel

That was the promise given to the students who applied to the County of Jönköping’s new central vocational school for healthcare education. An expression that clearly reflects the view of knowledge at the time, notes the School of Health and Welfare’s former acting rector and acting CEO, Anita Helmbring, as she recounts the school’s history. Fifty years later, the building still stands – a testament to its success in meeting all changes and new needs over time.

The decision to establish a central vocational school for healthcare education, with the County of Jönköping as principal organizer, was made in 1963. The idea was to bring together the various programs that had previously been run in different parts of the city – including training for hospital orderlies, assistant nurses, nurses, and occupational therapists – in one place. Two years later, the proposal was approved by the Royal Board of Education, and in time for the autumn term of 1968, the new school was inaugurated. The building, designed by architect Roland Voldemar Härm, was erected on a 6,000 square meter plot of land acquired by the county council from Munksjö AB. The facilities had 11 floors, two of which were below ground, and were also connected underground to Västerklinikerna through a culvert. From the very beginning, the premises were designed to meet advanced educational needs. The laboratories were planned to match those found in a hospital.

In the new building, all existing healthcare education programs were brought together, while several new programs were also launched. The Central Vocational School for Healthcare offered both upper secondary and post-secondary education. Following the higher education reform of 1977, the programs were divided, and the post-secondary tracks became university-level programs. This marked the beginning of the school’s journey toward becoming the School of Health and Welfare, one of Sweden’s leading institutions for education in health, care, and social work. During the 1980s and 1990s, the School of Health and Welfare was one of the country’s largest healthcare education institutions in terms of full-time equivalent students.

Over the years, the building has undergone many renovations and reconstructions to meet the evolving needs of the institution – from new pedagogical methods to research and laboratory technology. In 2005, the property was acquired by Högskolefastigheter i Jönköping AB, and in connection with the anniversary, an expansion of new facilities is underway – including spaces to bring together the programs for prosthetists and orthotists, radiographers, and dental hygienists. The driving force remains the same now as it was then, and the School of Health and Welfare is a building that proudly carries its 50 years!

Rectors/Acting Vice-Chancellors

Centrala vårdyrkesskolan/Munksjöskolan/Hälsohögskolan
Kurt Johansson var rektor för såväl gymnasie- som högskoledelarna fram till skolans delning 1987. För gymnasiedelen blev Elisabeth Lindberg rektor medan Kurt Johansson behöll ansvaret för högskoledelen fram till hans avgång 1989.

Rectors
Kurt Johansson, 1968 – 89
Ulla-Britt Carmnes, 1989 – 95
Anita Helmbring, Acting 1995 – 96
Lars Cernerud, 1996 – 2000
Stig Berg, Acting 2000 – 01

Acting Vice-Chancellors

Birgitta Lundgren-Lindquist, 2002-2007
Gerd Ahlström, 2007 – 2010
Anita Helmbring, Acting 2010 – 2011
Eva Wigeus-Törnquist, 2011–2017
Dennis Larsson, 2017 – 2019
Marie Ernsth Bravell, 2019 -2023

Eleonor Fransson, Acting 2023-2024

Catherine Legrand, 2025-