Career and technical education (formerly “vocational education,” and now referred to as “CTE”) has a long history in the United States. In this chapter, we review the policy history of CTE in the country as it has been shaped by the broader economic landscape of the nation and across the globe. We proceed to discuss how this landscape compares to the international perspective of vocational education and training (VET) and how identified purposes of education in the country have shaped these differences. We then turn to benefits of CTE participation, despite a history of negative stigma around this form of education, and how recent decades have seen a movement to destigmatize CTE. Finally, we explore perspectives for understanding CTE benefits and describe future directions for CTE in the United States.