In this brief, Owens and Welton provide an introductory overview of career and technical education (CTE) programs in both Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC). They report that the State of Illinois, and the City of Chicago in particular, have some of the highest unemployment rates in the country for youth ages 16 to 19 years old and 20 to 24 years old. CTE is one programmatic solution to address this equity concern by providing youth the academic and technical skills needed to become more employable. Students who participate in high-quality CTE programs graduate from high school at higher rates, are more likely to attend college, and in the long term earn higher wages than students who do not participate. Another benefits of high-quality CTE programs is that of the employers. They report that participating in initiatives that help youth acquire specialized skills positively impacts their companies and industries as a whole. The CTE programs in Chicago have a strong foundation to continue to be appealing and viable options for students. Still, additional research is needed to understand how CTE programs in Chicago can help overcome a persistent inequity--that a significant percentage of Chicagoans are not participating in and/ or are left out of the workforce. Future issues will highlight specific CTE programs and initiatives in the Chicago area and the innovative partnerships between highs schools, community colleges, and industry that make them possible.