National occupational standards are statements of the skills, knowledge and understanding needed in employment and clearly define the outcomes of competent performance.

They are developed by representatives of employment sectors on a UK-wide basis and inform vocational qualifications. They can also be used for training, appraisal, recruitment and retention planning.

There are national occupational standards covering almost every occupation in the United Kingdom, from manufacturing to .

Led by employers, the National Occupational Standards Board is an independent group whose remit is to set the strategy and oversee the funding of national occupational standards development.