The Review of Vocational Qualifications, 1985 to 1986: An Analysis of its Role in the Development of Competence-based Vocational Qualifications in England and Wales

A significant historical role in the development of competence-based vocational qualifications in England and Wales is customarily ascribed to the 1985 to 1986 Review of Vocational Qualifications (RVQ), the body which invented the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ). This paper analyses the RVQ's internal debates. The paper demonstrates that the RVQ proposed only the general principles of a structure and an administration for a reformed vocational qualifications system. The RVQ did not address in detail either the definition of occupational competence or the curriculum and assessment models to be embodied in the NVQ. In the light of this analysis, the paper re-evaluates the role of the RVQ in the development of competence-based vocational qualifications, and suggests some potentially fruitful areas for future research.