Introduction
“When I grow up, I want to be a Vocational Education Specialist”.
Said no one… Ever!
Fast forward 25 years and here we are, such a thing exists, and it’s me! NVQs have been around for 40 years now, and they are not just for hairdressers, management executives & people in marketing. NVQs are available in about 1500 different occupations. But what happened to NVQs and does anybody really care?
“NVQ – does that stand for Not Very Qualified” Is a phrase I used to hear a lot, and I ignored the people who said that at the time, but more and more these days, I’m beginning to think they might have a point…
Context
I’m about to provide a brief history of UK vocational qualifications and the changes that have happened in the last 25 years. Sure, it’s not bedtime reading, although for many, it probably will send you to sleep. But it is important to understand what NVQs are, and crucially, what they no longer are. Especially as industry leaders and trade bodies are slavishly bound to them. Let’s get into it.
History
In the UK, National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) have undergone significant transformations over the years, particularly in their regulatory framework structures. These structures are imposed by qualification regulators who are quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations (QUANGOs) who report to the Department for Education. Essentially, civil servants set the tone for the VQ landscape and apply to the DfE to ratify their decisions.
Originally introduced under the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), NVQs were designed to provide practical, competency-based assessments that directly applied to various industries and sectors. However, their journey through different frameworks – from NQF to QCF (Qualifications and Credit Framework) and back to RQF (Regulated Qualifications Framework) – has sparked debates in vocational educational circles about their value, detail, and scope. Much of which has been overlooked by industry decision makers, who set the industry learning & training agendas.
From NQF to QCF: A Shift in Approach
Under the NQF, NVQs were part of a broader system that categorised qualifications based on their level and content. This framework emphasised clear hierarchies and specific qualification pathways, which provided clarity but sometimes lacked flexibility in adapting to changing industry needs. It could be argued that these were ‘the good old days’ where an NVQ certificate meant you were competent to perform an occupation.
The European Union imposed the move to QCF in 2008, which aimed to introduce a more modular and credit-based system, allowing learners to accumulate credits that could be transferred between qualifications. This shift was intended to enhance flexibility and recognition of skills across different sectors. The idea was that learners could ‘pick and choose’ which aspects of competence they wanted to develop and attain, in the admirable hope that utopian individualism would make one more employable. It was a flawed hope however, because by this time employers equated an NVQ certificate with competence. Since all an employer had to do to abdicate their responsibilities under the Health & Safety at Work Act, was waive an NVQ certificate at the HSE inspector – job done.
Criticism During the QCF Era
Despite the initial optimism, critics (me included) argued that the emphasis on credit accumulation sometimes overshadowed the quality and depth of learning. There were concerns that breaking down qualifications into smaller units for easier assessment might compromise the overall coherence and robustness of NVQs, and it did. The level of rigour, robustness, clarity and detail in NVQs was thrown onto the bonfire of the aspirational, individualistic, modular approach to vocational qualifications during this time.
Return to RQF: Seeking Balance and Clarity
In 2015, the UK returned to a more regulated approach with the introduction of RQF. This framework aimed to maintain the flexibility introduced by QCF while reinstating a clearer focus on qualifications' quality and alignment with industry standards. RQF categorised qualifications based on their size and level (Certificate, Award, Diploma), ensuring that each qualification had a defined purpose and met rigorous criteria set by regulatory bodies. But alas, it was too late, and the irreversible damage had already been done. What does a Level 2 Diploma mean? Anyone…? Anyone…?
Current Challenges, Outlook & Conclusion
Despite these framework changes, criticisms persist regarding the detail and scope of NVQs under RQF. Some argue that while the framework provides clarity, there remains a need for ongoing refinement to ensure NVQs remain relevant and responsive to evolving industry needs.
The journey of NVQs through different frameworks has been problematic. They no longer represent what they once did. The stripping away of detail to shoehorn units into a QCF framework has done irreparable damage which has gone largely unnoticed. In essence, NVQs have evolved significantly, and the question now is: Do these qualifications continue to uphold their promise of equipping learners with practical, industry-relevant skills?
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