This contribution aims at informing readers about a current education and training design approach which is based on theory building and practical experience. It is about the development of comprehensive competence-based education, which is different from earlier attempts to develop competence-based education. In many education development projects the notion of outcome-based or competence-based education is taken as a starting point. The advantage of the current (comprehensive and holistic) approach is that education and training programmes will become more practice-oriented and relevant for finding or creating employment. The question however is what this education philosophy entails and how to go about the development of this kind of education. There are many questions about this approach, and the author hopes that this contribution will help university leaders, staff of education and examination quality departments, curriculum developers, faculty development staff, chairs of departments and department staff to understand the essence of the approach, see its potential, but also appreciate the complexity of the development and implementation process. (Contains 2 tables.)