Vocational competence is the set of skills, attitudes and knowledge needed to carry out roles and tasks with the required levels of quality and job efficiency.

         With this focus, competence involves much more than simply being able to carry out a series of specific tasks in a certain workplace, and goes way beyond having a good educational background, passing an exam and earning a diploma. Today's industry requires individuals who are able to apply their know-how in different contexts, often under higly variable tchnological conditions and people who can respond to changes creatively and with innovation.

Tehnical competence: to operate efficently with regard to means, products, information and variables directly involved in the creation of a product and/or service, and the skills necessary to work confidently.

Organisational and economic competence: to coordinate the diverese production activities and rationally administer the technical, social and economic aspects of industry.

Cooperation and social environment competence: to respond to the factores that deternine the relationships and procedures established in the work organisation, and to effectively integrate oneself, wether horizontally or vertically, by cooperating socially and productively with other members of the work team.

Competence in dealing with eventualities: to adress problems, failures or irregularities often detected in procedures, equipment, systems or products and services.

       The outcome of this process is the set of Basque Vocational Qualifications, defined as specifications of competence suitable for production and employment, which accredit possessors thereof with professional competence in an area of work.