High-quality professional higher education is a guarantee of graduates’ competitiveness not only on the national, but also on the international labour market. Issues of professional standards, their integration into study programs and other relevant aspects of the assignment of professional qualifications were discussed at the International Forum “Human capital: skills for the future”, which is held fourthly by the National Qualifications Agency. Representatives of NAQA also took part in the forum – Nataliia Stukalo and Olena Kolesnikova became the speakers of the panel discussion “Professional standard – the basis of professional qualifications”, while Bohdan Morklianyk moderated the discussion on qualifications in the field of security and defence.