The focus of the current high school reform movement goes beyond qualifying students to enter college. It extends to raising the rigor of coursework so that students are prepared for college-level classes, rather than forced to enter remedial courses. This need is based on extensive study of the gap between college admissions criteria and the more rigorous requirements for entering credit courses, as determined by college placement tests. Reformers further assert that all students, not just the college bound, should reach that higher level of academic preparedness. The notion is that non-college-bound students require that level of preparation to enter the employment world, or as it is sometimes stated, to get "good jobs." This report attempts to bring together available information on the work world, what employers say they want, what employment projections show, and the requirements and qualifications necessary to meet employer needs and standards. This analysis finds a strong case for advancing the academic skills of a high proportion of those high school graduates if they are to compete successfully for the higher-paying jobs available to those without a college degree, and advance in such jobs. Appended is: Best Matches of Occupational Categories between Jobs Listed in Table 4 and Jobs Listed in "What Jobs Require" Report. (Contains 4 tables, 7 figures, and 51 footnotes.)