Although high schools typically concentrate on preparing students to enter baccalaureate degree programs, it is estimated that by the year 2000 more than 70% of the jobs in America will not require a four-year college degree. The Tech Prep program is designed to provide technically oriented backgrounds to the middle fifty percent of high school students who may not pursue a four-year college degree but choose a two-year trade, technical, or community college program. The mathematics component of Tech Prep, Applied Mathematics (AM), was created by a consortium of 42 states and the Center for Occupational Research and Development. AM consists of 25 competency-based units covering basic math skills, geometry, algebra, quality control, and trigonometry. The learning materials for each unit include a 10-15 minute video program, a student text, a teacher text, mathematics laboratory activities, practical problem-solving exercises, and glossary. In the AM classroom, the teacher is a facilitator, the students actively participate, work in groups, and are allowed to use calculators. Tech Prep students who have completed AM courses will enter two-year colleges much better prepared than general mathematics students and will be used to this teaching approach. Two-year college mathematics faculty, therefore, will need to adapt to the new techniques and methods of teaching. Eight sample laboratory activities are appended. (KP)