Career and technical education is the part of American high school that provides the link between the needs of the labor market and the needs of young people to be fully prepared to move into the workforce or continue their career-focused education and training beyond high school. Concerns about how to strengthen the economy as well as complaints from employers that too many students graduate from college without the knowledge and skills needed to fill jobs have sparked a renewed interest in CTE. Despite the rhetoric around college and career readiness, there is general consensus that equipping all young people with the knowledge and skills to become productive adults is the implicit goal of public education. CTE, with its emphasis on providing the background knowledge and tangible skills crucial to career preparation, is now recognized as opening multiple pathways to reach that goal. Pathways will differ, of course for each student, but all pathways should facilitate the ultimate transition into the labor market. To ensure that all youth have the opportunity to be successful adults, public education must do more than ensure high school graduates can pass tests. Clearly, there are many pathways to future success. Some involve traditional college, but many others involve alternate but equally rigorous pathways through apprenticeships, community colleges, the military, unions, and industry based training.