The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between ratings of desirable teacher competencies and selected personal and professional variables of the trade and industrial (T&I) teachers in Virginia. The variables were correlated and analyzed in order to explain the variance of teacher competencies. The independent variables were years of trade experience, years of teaching experience, levels of professional training, and reasons for teaching. The dependent variables were the total ratings of the 17 competencies, as evaluated by the teacher's immediate supervisor, and three categories of the competencies: teacher preparation, delivery of instruction, and support of appropriate vocational organizations. The sample in the study consisted of 130 randomly selected T&I teachers from 74 comprehensive high schools and vocational centers across the state of Virginia. Data were collected by mailing the evaluation instrument and teacher questionnaire to the teacher's immediate supervisor. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of the mail surveys were returned. The sample was described by the number of years of trade experience, the number of years of teaching experience, the number of college hours with Vocational prefix, other college hours, and reasons for entering the teaching profession. Frequencies, means, and standard deviations were obtained. The reasons for teaching which were ranked as first and second choices were a desire to work with young people and interest in their trade. The data were analyzed by using correlations and multiple regression. Findings revealed that: (1) No significant correlations exist among the independent variables and the dependent variables. (2) Nothing can be gained by partialing out the variance in the dependent variable. Thus, the ratings of the T&I teachers by their immediate supervisors were not dependent upon the variables of years of trade experience, years of teaching experience, or hours of postsecondary professional training. / Ed. D.