The urgent need to build a strong pipeline of career-ready high school graduates is growing rapidly, just as more parents, students, and employers are questioning the diminishing value of traditional higher education. Increasingly, employers in high-demand and high-growth industries are placing greater value on job-ready skills than on traditional college degrees. Yet the education pathways to these career fields are not keeping pace with the demand. To prepare students for real-world success and meet the evolving demands of today's economy, high schools must be intentionally designed with industry-specific focuses that reflect national labor trends and the unique needs of their local communities and regions.