The gap that separates so many workers from the prospect of good-paying, stable jobs demands urgent action by states--even as the unrelenting fast pace of economic change makes a sound response all the more difficult and as the "rules of the game" continue to evolve. This is especially true in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields, where rapid growth holds the potential for significant employment gains while a skills gap holds back would-be workers from the employers who seek their talents. By taking urgent action, states have the opportunity to level the playing field and create more equitable educational and career outcomes. Keeping up with the evolving needs of employers in this fast-changing economy is a daunting task for any state, much less an individual college or university. While alignment has been a popular buzzword in the education and training sector for years, the kind of alignment required in the twenty-first century economy is not between what employers need today and what a community college or training program can provide, but rather a shift towards alignment as an ongoing and continuous process by which education and training providers must evolve at the same pace as, and in direct coordination with, regional employers and emerging industries. Real-time labor market information stands at the intersection of these trends and can play a powerful role in meeting the need for an alignment process for the modern economy--and especially for the middle-skill STEM careers that hold so much potential for the nation's future. By providing a window into the dynamic needs of employers--the knowledge, skills, experience, credentials and other assets they seek while hiring--real-time labor market information (LMI) gives states and their community colleges the ability to keep up with labor shifts and better prepare their citizenry for exciting career opportunities and advancement. This document is intended to highlight some of the specific challenges states face in providing leadership to close the skills gap and to offer recommendations for harnessing real-time LMI to develop middle-skill STEM pathways to success at community colleges. (For the full report, see ED556761.)