There are an estimated 4,500 students waitlisted to access the Commonwealth’s vocational schools and gain hands-on learning opportunities in high school. Acknowledging that MA can’t overcome this challenge by building dozens of new vocational high schools, MA has established a system for putting hands-on learning experiences into general education high schools through the creation of Innovation Pathways. This career-focused curriculum allows students the opportunity to gain hands-on skills at their neighborhood high school in one of five industry-aligned pathways critical to the MA economy. The Innovation Pathway designation allows for increased autonomy and flexibility in curriculum, scheduling, professional development, district policies, and budget to meet the needs of both students and MA industry. In addition, students can graduate with both college credit and 100 hours of a work-based learning experience.