Career and technical education programs are expanding at secondary schools as demand for job-ready skills grows; educators identify facilities, employer partnerships and instructor capacity as top barriers to stronger CTE outcomes. Concurrently, EdWeek’s EdRecruiter survey shows districts are retooling recruitment and retention strategies to staff both CTE and general classrooms. Colleges and community colleges that partner with K–12 should intensify articulation agreements, dual‑enrollment options, and employer-aligned credential pathways to capture inflows from stronger secondary CTE pipelines.