The article considers the main ways of ecological competence formation in professional education of high school students. Scientific approaches, principles, functions, methods of formation of such competence are analyzed; orientational, cognitive and cultural ways of significant influence on the implementation of this process are characterized.It has been proved that the formation of ecological competence is a multifaceted and complicated technological process, which is characterized by the unity of scientific approaches in a holistic educational and pedagogical process, namely: systemic, valuable, normative, personal-active, competence. To better understand the ways of environmental competence formation in the professional education of high school students there is a need to strictly adhere to the following principles: integration, systematicity, continuity, interconnection and unity, and accordingly the use in his/her activities such functions of environmental competence as: moral and ethical, hygienic, prognostic, practical, economic, developmental and self-identifying.Based on the analysis of scientific approaches, principles, functions and methods, we have identified the orientational, cognitive and cultural ways of forming the environmental competence of high school students in professional education.