EXPORTING FAILURE - THE STRANGE CASE OF NVQS AND OVERSEAS MARKETS

At a time when Britain's vocational education and training (VET) syste m and vocational qualifications are undergoing a major review and rest ructuring in response to critical reports about the model established tinder the former National Council for Vocational Qualifications, the British Council and associated agencies is currently trying to market National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) overseas. The chief weakness es and failings of NVQs and the competence-based education and trainin g (CBET) system on which they are based are outlined in terms of asses sment anomalies and the needs of firms, trainees and employers. Since these shortcomings are so so serious, it is suggested that-until they have been remedied through the current reforms under the aegis of the new Qualifications and Curriculum Authority-it is ethically unjustifia ble to export a failed VET system to countries which may be unaware of the critical research surrounding NVQs and CBET.