ABSTRACT

In all the Nordic countries, introduction of education for health care workers was part of building welfare states after Second World War. Central aims were public health care and education for all. The educations contributed to thousands of women entering the labour market, not as unskilled workers, but with a vocational education. Though auxiliary nurses are subordinate to the registered nurses, and low in the hierarchy of health care, the auxiliary nurse educations provided access to work in hospitals, and they soon became popular. Today health care worker education represents the largest VET educations, but their position in the labour market has become more fragile.