Technical, academic and employability knowledge and skills are essential for youth and adults to be lifelong learners, informed citizens and prepared and adaptable members of the workforce. CTE imparts these skills through engaging, relevant hands-on learning, integrated with academics, for all students, including those living in rural settings where education and economic development systems face unique challenges. One such challenge is serving small populations that are geographically dispersed, making it difficult for school districts and community colleges to offer robust education programs. It may be hard to find teachers qualified to teach a particular course or course sequence, or to offer enough courses to meet the varied career interests of students and help them complete a career pathway, while a lack of technology infrastructure in rural areas can make it challenging to connect students and teachers across distances. It can also be difficult for schools to provide students with a range of career exploration and work-based learning experiences, as many rural areas have only a few employers or industries. Funding challenges underlay all these concerns. Career and Technical Education (CTE) facilitates rural students' education and career development in a variety of ways. This issue sheet presents the role of CTE in rural education.