In this article, I draw upon data from a recently completed research project in order to examine young people's experiences of a variety of GNVQ courses. In the opening section, I attempt to locate some of the ideological foundations of GNVQ. Second, I focus upon the knowledge and learning experiences which constitute GNVQ curricula as I explore some footholds for critique. Drawing from this, and finally, I offer a tentative appraisal of GNVQ as it operates today.