The National College of Technical Professional Education (CONALEP) was founded by presidential decree in 1978 as a decentralized public organisation by the Federal Government, with its own legal personality and assets. In 1993, the decree reform opened up expectations about job training, intersectional cooperation, community support and technological advice and assistance to businesses. In 1994, the College adopted the scheme of Education-Based Standards of Competence (EBSC), initiating the reform of its educational model consistent with this approach.

In 1998, CONALEP undertook a project of accreditation of campuses as centres of evaluation of labour competencies with the purpose of boosting the evaluation of skills acquired throughout the life, using as reference the Technical Norms of Labour Competency. In 2003, a new academic reform was carried out, which updated and consolidated the methodology of education and training based on contextualized competencies. In 2008, a reorientation of the educational model took place, in response to the demand for highly qualified human resources in the production sector, with a strong occupational and academic training for competitiveness, supported by civic values and environmental sustainability, that can contribute to national development.

With the modification of its founding decree in 2011, the training of technical professional bachelor is incorporated. CONALEP is a federalized Institution, formed by a central unit that regulates and coordinates the whole system; 30 state colleges; a decentralized operation unit in Mexico City and a representation in the State of Oaxaca. This structure allows the operation of services on 308 campuses, which are located in major cities and industrial zones and eight Assistance and Technological Services Centres (CAST).

National and international activities:

The National College of Professional Technical Education has directed its actions to strengthen the process of internationalization, understood as the development of activities, programs and services aimed at encouraging mobility practices of students and teachers, the generation of strategic alliances with international institutions and cooperation agencies that result in the signing of cooperation agreements and the development of technical cooperation projects that enable the transfer of knowledge through training, updating of information and specialization of human capital.

This gradual institutional process has resulted in the consolidation of relations with countries such as Germany, Brazil, Belize, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, United States, Spain, Honduras, Guatemala, Japan, United Kingdom and Switzerland.

CONALEP’s mission is to train highly qualified Bachelor Technicians by mastering skills that prepare them for life and participation in sustainable economic development, offers technological services and job training and evaluates for the purposes of certification of job skills to permanently contribute to the transformation of Mexico. Its ‘Vision 2024’ is to be an institution recognized for the preparation of leaders in cutting-edge technological development, for its ability to build alliances with the country's productive sectors and its participation in applied research for social, inclusive and sustainable transformation. The CONALEP System enjoys wide national and international recognition, for its practices attached to the values of transparency, innovation, quality and flexibility to respond to global challenges.