This article sets out to provide an overview of the field of national competitiveness studies and its relation to high quality human resources and correspondingly to high quality education and training. In particular, the author’s goal here is to develop the reasons why countries increasingly need well trained and motivated human resources. Drawing on Michael Porter’s pioneering work on national competitiveness and Christophe Koellreuter’s application studies on regional competitiveness , the author highlights the importance of high quality human resources in general and of high quality education and training in particular.