The gap between existing skills and desired or required skills is the impetus for the development of business/industry standards. Professional associations have taken the initiative in setting skill standards; state licensing exams are used to certify workers in some occupations. An impending work force crisis has triggered a demand for accountability. The Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act has further defined the need for standards, and many states have been challenged to develop them. Within the U.S. educational system, the trend toward competency-based education makes it possible to place occupational standards and certifications within a theoretical framework. The National Vocational Qualifications developed in Great Britain are one example of competency-based skill standards used to assess performance. Findings of a study visit to Denmark and Great Britain suggest the need for the expansion of occupational standards to include the core or common skills that cut across occupations and affective as well as cognitive skills. National skill standards benefit workers, employers, teachers, administrators, and state departments of education. They offer the following: certification of skill attainment, portability, assurance that certified workers have a predictable level of competence, definition of the skills and knowledge that must be taught, and a fair means by which vocational programs can be evaluated. Implementation of national skill standards requires collaboration among employers, employees, and educators. (YLB)