Vård- och omsorgscollege

What Vård- och omsorgscollege does

Vård- och omsorgscollege (VO-College) is a Swedish membership-based association (ekonomisk förening) founded in 2008 that operates a nationwide certification and collaboration framework for vocational education within healthcare and elderly care. The organization is jointly owned by five stakeholder bodies: the trade union Kommunal, SKR (Sveriges Kommuner och Regioner), Sobona (municipal employers), Vårdföretagarna (private healthcare employers), and Fremia. Its core function is to certify and support a network of 22 regional and approximately 100 local VO-Colleges, which coordinate between employers, educational providers, and trade unions across all of Sweden.

The product portfolio centers on the Validig digital validation platform (launched 2023, priced at 8,000 SEK/license/year for non-members and 4,000 SEK for certified members), a modular Handledarutbildning mentor training program (Steps 1-3), the Språkombudsutbildare language ambassador trainer program, the Språket på jobbet website and resources for language development in healthcare workplaces, and supporting tools such as Språkförmåga i fokus, Vägvisaren, and '20 minuter'. The organization also runs the Vård&Vibes national recruitment campaign with Go Care (32.5 million campaign impressions since October 2025), the annual Rikskonferens (~280 participants), and VO-Collegeveckan. Content is aligned with Gy25 subject reform and addresses protected professional titles for undersköterska and the new language requirements in elderly care effective July 2026.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of membership and certification fees from member schools, municipalities, regions, and employers; training program fees (23,000 SEK for members, 28,000 SEK for non-members per cohort for Språkombudsutbildare); recurring Validig platform subscriptions; annual Rikskonferens attendance fees (2,200-2,500 SEK); and the Fem nycklar training program (free for members, 500 SEK for non-members). Distribution operates through the regional and local college network plus a self-service digital channel for Validig. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, consistent with its status as a member-funded association governed by its five owner organizations.

Name

Vård- och omsorgscollege

Legal name

Föreningen Vård- och omsorgscollege

Website

https://vo-college.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vård- och omsorgscollege is a Swedish member-owned association that certifies a nationwide network of 22 regional and ~100 local colleges coordinating employers, trade unions, and educational providers in healthcare vocational education, offering the Validig validation platform, mentor and language training, and recruitment campaigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Healthcare Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Career & Technical Education (CTE) Standards Authorities (EDADAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Qualifications & Credit Framework Authorities (EDADAEAD), Nursing & Allied Health Certification Prep (CNA, EMT/Paramedic, Radiology, Sonography, PT/OT) (EDANAIAB)

Keywords

• Vocational healthcare training
• Healthcare certification programs
• Workplace-based learning
• Digital validation platform
• Competence development care

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership and Certification Fees: VO-College generates revenue through certification fees from schools and employers that join the certified collaboration. New applicants pay certification fees and sign agreements to become certified VO-College members.
2. Training Program Fees: Training programs such as Språkombudsutbildare (Language Ambassador Trainer) at 23,000 SEK for members and 28,000 SEK for non-members. Supervisor training and other professional development programs generate course fees.
3. Validig Platform Licenses: Digital validation platform licensed at 8,000 SEK per license per year, with 50% discount (4,000 SEK) for certified VO-College members.
4. Conference Fees: Annual national conference (Rikskonferens) fees at 2,200 SEK for member organizations and 2,500 SEK for non-members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Vård- och omsorgscollege (VO-College) is a Swedish nonprofit membership association founded in 2008 that brings together employers, trade unions and educational providers to ensure quality in vocational healthcare and care education. It certifies approximately 22 regional and 100 local VO-Colleges, delivers standardized training programs (mentor training, language-representative trainer, ambassador training), and provides the Validig digital validation platform together with apl-dokument and diploma rules used to document and quality-assure workplace-based learning.

Product overview

Vård- och omsorgscollege operates as a certification and collaboration framework rather than a single product company. Its portfolio consists of a digital validation platform (Validig) for managing the validation process, multiple training programs including Handledarutbildning (Mentor Training) with Steps 1-3, Språkombudsutbildare (Language Representative Trainer) training, VO-ambassadörsutbildningen (VO Ambassador Training), and Fem nycklar (Five Keys) training, plus support materials such as 20 minuter, Språkförmåga i fokus, and Vägvisaren. The organization also runs the digital platform Språket på jobbet, the campaign initiative Vård&Vibes, and provides documentation including Apl-dokument and Diplomregler. These products collectively support competence supply, workplace-based learning, language development, and certification within Swedish healthcare and care education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Validig: Digital validation platform for educational providers working with validation within healthcare and care
• Språket på jobbet
• Vård&Vibes
• Språkombudsutbildare
• Handledarutbildning
• Vård- och omsorgsambassadör
• Språkförmåga i fokus
• Årets handledare
• Fem nycklar till en språkutvecklande arbetsplats
• 20 minuter

Products and services

• Validig

Quantifiable outcome

• 300 supervisors trained annually in Skåne alone through systematic mentor training programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.

• KommunalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary trade union partner in VO-College governance. Kommunal is the labor union representing healthcare workers and plays a key role in ensuring members have access to competence development opportunities and that the collaboration raises the status of healthcare professions.
• SKR (Sveriges Kommuner och Regioner)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization representing Swedish municipalities and regions as employers. SKR is a founding member of Föreningen Vård- och omsorgscollege and provides leadership through the board, currently with Ulrika Sundquist as chair.
• Sobona - Kommunala företagens arbetsgivarorganisationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer organization for municipal companies. Participates in VO-College governance to ensure structured collaboration between education and workplace across municipal healthcare operations.
• VårdföretagarnacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer organization for private healthcare and care companies. Contributes private sector perspective to VO-College collaboration, with Gunnar Caperius serving as board member representing the organization.
• FremiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer organization within the agreement area for Health, Care, and Other Care. Participates in VO-College governance to support competence supply for member organizations, with Per Gradén serving as substitute board member.
• Go CarekeyGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic collaboration partner for the Vård&Vibes national campaign to inspire young people to choose healthcare education. Go Care provides campaign expertise and coordination, with the partnership generating 32.5 million campaign impressions since October 2025.
• WorldSkills SwedenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganization behind Yrkes-SM (Skills Sweden) competition. VO-College participates as co-organizer of healthcare competitions at Yrkes-SM events, promoting healthcare careers to young people.
• Stiftelsen FriendsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInvited as guest speaker at Vård&Vibes webinar to share experiences from 20 years of anti-bullying work, providing insights on long-term engagement and sustained campaigns.
• SocialstyrelsenkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational board of health and welfare. Collaborates with VO-College on language development in elderly care, protected professional titles for assistant nurses, and quality standards in healthcare education.
• SkolverketkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational agency for public education. Collaborates with VO-College on Gy25 (subject grade reform) implementation, providing webinars and guidance for Barn- och fritidsprogrammet with focus on disability support.
• Högskolerådet i StockholmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional higher education council. Collaborates with VO-College Stockholmsregionen on organizing VO-College Day, connecting students with employers and higher education opportunities.
• ArbetsförmedlingenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish Public Employment Service. Often participates in regional steering groups and has procurement requirements for labor market training that mandate VO-College certification.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kommunal: Sweden's largest trade union for healthcare, elderly-care, and municipal workers; co-owner and core strategic partner of VO-College. Comparable as a stakeholder organization driving competence-supply policy and member development.
• Sobona: Employer organization for Swedish municipal companies and a co-owner of VO-College. Comparable as a sector-level stakeholder coordinating employer interests and competence supply.
• Skills for Care: UK sector skills council for adult social care that develops workforce standards, training, and qualification pathways for care workers. Directly comparable to VO-College's tri-partite model of setting standards, certifying providers, and supporting mentor/leadership development across a national social-care workforce.
• Vårdföretagarna: Employer organization for private Swedish healthcare and care companies; co-owner and board participant of VO-College. Direct parallel as a sectoral competence-supply stakeholder.
• Go Care: Swedish healthcare careers platform and joint operator of the Vård&Vibes campaign with VO-College. Closely aligned on healthcare vocational recruitment and student-facing content for undersköterska/vårdbiträde roles.

Broad incumbents

• Socialstyrelsen (National Board of Health and Welfare): Swedish government authority responsible for protected professional titles and healthcare quality standards. Overlaps with VO-College on language assessment frameworks and is a key reference for validation standards.
• Skolverket (Swedish National Agency for Education): Government agency setting national curricula, including Gy25, with which VO-College collaborates directly. Operates over VO-College's niche as a regulatory body rather than a membership-collaboration entity.
• WorldSkills Sweden: National organization running Yrkes-SM vocational skills competitions, in which VO-College co-organizes healthcare categories. Comparable on vocational skills promotion, but with a much broader multi-sector mandate.

Emerging players

• Ednia: Swedish gymnasiesöktjänst that partners with VO-College (2024) to help students find certified education programs. Adjacent offering with partial overlap on vocational program discovery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vård- och omsorgscollege