I would like to put the GRASP framework into action by outlining a project at present being coordinated through the Liverpool Comino Centre, which is intended to improve the relevance and value of GNVQs.

General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs) were launched in 1992. They have not been well received by employers and higher education because of a variety of perceived weaknesses.

We believe that GNVQ style education has much to offer young people and we have set our purpose to be:

To enrich the quality of GNVQs by raising their status and producing a practical and realistic model of GNVQ delivery with the involvement of all users, including students, teacher, higher education providers and industrialists. The model will be developed initially at local level but is intended to be replicated regionally and nationally.

Our criteria for success are that students will:

  • Successfully meet the GNVQ performance criteria.
  • Raise their self-esteem to enable them to show their true worth to both universities of Liverpool and local employers.
  • Develop their self-confidence by identifying learning outcomes to be achieved outside their own school environment.
  • Break down any fear barriers they may have towards higher education or employment.
  • Enjoy their work.

The criteria for facilitators are that they will:

  • Develop meaningful school-university and school-business links.
  • Develop the quality of GNVQ teaching in order to stretch students' abilities.
  • Involve themselves in the planning and delivery of GNVQ coursework.
  • Observe the calibre and potential of GNVQ students.

The plan was to identify and gain support from like minded GNVQ users, who would be prepared to work as a team in developing and promoting GNVQ-style education and to secure funding, preferably from members of the above team. Our team consists of people from Girobank, Ford, Manweb; Students from Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton and Wigan; Liverpool Comino Centre; the Universities of Liverpool and John Moores; the Education Business Partnership of Wigan and Mersyside. To date there have been four projects coordinated through the Liverpool Comino Centre. Each project has developed incrementally and the current one involves the whole team.

The facilitators held their first meetings in May to plan the event. They agreed the projects and designed the shape of the students' three day visit to the university. During September, 70 students spent three days at the two universities and on industrial premises, completing research designed to meet requirements of GNVQs in advanced business, health and social care, and intermediate manufacturing. Day one was of an introductory nature. They spent days two and three carrying out research seeking secondary and primary data. The students are now working on their projects during GNVQ allotted time in their schools or colleges, with visits and telephone calls to the companies and universities for further information and help. On 12 December, they will spend the day formally presenting their work to an invited audience at the university.

The project is on target. The outcome of the review of the whole three year project at local level has been positive. Progress at regional and national levels is slow because of lack of funds. However we have not given up; we are seeking the necessary funding. The students helped with our overall review by reporting to us that they had:

  • Obtained deeper understanding of GNVQ performance criteria.
  • Gained in planning skills by demonstrating they had been empowered to devise their own learning strategy.
  • Increased their self-confidence by working in new environments with new people.
  • Developed skills in group working.
  • Improved their organisational skills.
  • Widened their knowledge of the university learning experience.
  • Enjoyed their work.

These achievements reflect the original purpose of the Liverpool Comino Centre and its partners. However, developments in education cannot ever be complete, because progress itself raises more and more questions about how we can increase the harvest.