A bridge too far? The problems facing GNVQ

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Abstract
General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs) have been introduced by the British government to complete post‐16 education and training provision. They are intended to be a bridge between Advanced Levels and National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), and to provide a vocational education of equivalent status to A levels. Using business as an exemplar, we examine the contextual position of GNVQs, especially in relation to A levels and NVQs. We identify three related problems–status equivalence, links with other qualifications and progression routes. We suggest that, in striving for status equivalence, GNVQ is being pulled closer to A level, and is increasingly distanced from NVQs. Moreover, despite much recent effort, progression from GNVQ to university remains problematic, while little attention has been given to the arguably more significant problems of progression to employment. We conclude that GNVQ is being expected to do an impossible job, and that changes to Advanced Level are also needed if a coherent post‐16 educational provision is to be developed.

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