This article describes the results of a comparative case study of two competence development trajectories within Dutch public administration organizations. These two trajectories are rather different: One can be seen as a more theory-driven training approach whereas the other can be seen as practice-driven coaching. Their theoretical distinctions are elaborated upon, and the ways in which these differences impact upon their contributions to individual and organizational learning processes are analyzed. The article concludes with some observations on the relative value of both approaches as well as some conclusions about the ways in which the two approaches can strengthen each other and enhance individual and organizational learning.