One of the keys to understanding the process of industrialisation and modernisation in Spain is to know the relationship between vocational education and training (VET) and the curricular changes. Since the mid-nineteenth century, the Basque Country has undergone a singular process in the development of VET such that it has become a model of reference. Explaining the creation of this process is complex, but the fact is that companies, factories, local and regional institutions opted for professional training institutions to establish a network of schools of arts and trades that adapted to economic, social and educational needs. The creation of different types of schools -- generally in industrialised towns -- was thus made possible. Based on the use of primary sources, this article seeks to explain this process in order to analyse the policies designed to promote vocational training through a curriculum oriented towards job placement.