Competency-based training (CBT) has been fundamental to how accredited VET is delivered in Australia for the last three decades or so, and over this time it has garnered both advocates and critics. This research examines the strengths and weaknesses of CBT as it is currently applied to the Australian VET system and whether there is cause to consider a broader approach to defining and describing competence and hence considering how best teaching and learning in VET is delivered and assessed.