This article aims to systematise the main analyses related to Qualification and Productive Restructuring developed by educational researchers. The state of art is based on the literature on the subject published in the last decade in Brazil. Contributions of "Work and Education" group of ANPEd as well as some papers presented in recent seminars about qualification were researched. The article focuses upon the following topics: polyvalence or polytechnical education, technological innovation and requirements of qualification, the centrality of basic education and, finally, competencies and their implications for the employability debate.