The paper presents the results of a study analyzing the contribution of skills-development within the framework of quality assurance in education and its relations with current social and economical phenomena in the Latin American scenario. World economic crises presage a worsening of job instability in the region, and, in order to contribute to governance in political systems, there must be a social pact sustained by quality education with greater job opportunities. This will require institutional and financial mechanisms to support skills-based technical and professional education. The text lists ten proposals to solve strategic bottlenecks in secondary and higher professional and technical education.
competence; technical education; teaching quality