Skill and qualification: the contribution of NVQs to raising skill levels

This paper is an evaluation of the British system of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) which focuses specifically on their capacity to increase the skill levels of the working population. It reviews the way that NVQs were designed and developed and argues that they are ill-equipped to encour...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Grugulis, I
Format: Working paper
Language:English
Published: ESRC Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE) 2002
Subjects:
_version_ 1826289776841457664
author Grugulis, I
author_facet Grugulis, I
author_sort Grugulis, I
collection OXFORD
description This paper is an evaluation of the British system of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) which focuses specifically on their capacity to increase the skill levels of the working population. It reviews the way that NVQs were designed and developed and argues that they are ill-equipped to encourage knowledge and skills, partly because they simply replicate the weaknesses which currently exist in the labour market and partly because of the qualifications' own focus on observed workplace behaviours. NVQs were intended to be 'employer-led' and the assumptions which underpin their design are unitarist. In contrast, the German apprenticeship system is developed and implemented by pluralist consortia of employers, trade unions, educationalists and regional governments. The qualifications which result are far better equipped to support skill levels than are NVQs.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T02:34:03Z
format Working paper
id oxford-uuid:a8328f86-fcdd-481d-a4ed-3d54855b7a99
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T02:34:03Z
publishDate 2002
publisher ESRC Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE)
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:a8328f86-fcdd-481d-a4ed-3d54855b7a992022-03-27T02:59:52ZSkill and qualification: the contribution of NVQs to raising skill levelsWorking paperhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_8042uuid:a8328f86-fcdd-481d-a4ed-3d54855b7a99Vocational and professional learningEducationEnglishOxford University Research Archive - ValetESRC Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE)2002Grugulis, IThis paper is an evaluation of the British system of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) which focuses specifically on their capacity to increase the skill levels of the working population. It reviews the way that NVQs were designed and developed and argues that they are ill-equipped to encourage knowledge and skills, partly because they simply replicate the weaknesses which currently exist in the labour market and partly because of the qualifications' own focus on observed workplace behaviours. NVQs were intended to be 'employer-led' and the assumptions which underpin their design are unitarist. In contrast, the German apprenticeship system is developed and implemented by pluralist consortia of employers, trade unions, educationalists and regional governments. The qualifications which result are far better equipped to support skill levels than are NVQs.
spellingShingle Vocational and professional learning
Education
Grugulis, I
Skill and qualification: the contribution of NVQs to raising skill levels
title Skill and qualification: the contribution of NVQs to raising skill levels
title_full Skill and qualification: the contribution of NVQs to raising skill levels
title_fullStr Skill and qualification: the contribution of NVQs to raising skill levels
title_full_unstemmed Skill and qualification: the contribution of NVQs to raising skill levels
title_short Skill and qualification: the contribution of NVQs to raising skill levels
title_sort skill and qualification the contribution of nvqs to raising skill levels
topic Vocational and professional learning
Education
work_keys_str_mv AT grugulisi skillandqualificationthecontributionofnvqstoraisingskilllevels