Before providing empirical cases, within the Realist-Constructivist framework presented in Chap. 1 , this chapter discusses econo-productive and structural-regulatory mechanisms that condition the formation of workforce competencies in the Global South. It reviews macroeconomic dynamics such as global trade, value chains, and foreign investment, showing how they affect labor productivity, job creation, and skill valuation. Issues such as reliance on raw material exports, vulnerability to external shocks, and the “race to the bottom” in low-wage economies highlight persistent challenges. The chapter also explores labor market mismatches, decent work, and the balance between generic and firm-specific skills. On the structural-regulatory side, the chapter traces the evolution of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and the global shift toward competency-based training (CBT), analyzing tensions between distributive and coordinative welfare models. At the end, the chapter provides an observation of econo-productive and structural-regulatory conditions specific to Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, and Pakistan, illustrating how global trends, national policies, and firm-level ecologies interact to shape competencies, revealing both commonalities and context-specific differences.