Smartphones and Chromebooks have changed the face of learning. But with all their functionality, smartphones and Chromebooks with their 12-inch screens are primarily devices for consumption, not professional productivity. All the while, industry is experiencing a critical shortage of skilled workers. In fact, experts predict that over the next 10 years, over 2 million skilled labor positions will go unfilled. In order to meet the needs of industry and prepare our students with marketable work skills, schools need to think old-school. Professional skills require professional equipment. The idea of computer labs, replete with the latest software, is making a big comeback. Savvy schools are taking the concept of computer labs into the mid-21st century, creating professional learning stations that prepare students with real-world, employable skills that can accelerate career paths and change the narrative from an uncertain future into one of immediate employment upon graduation. These CTE-enabled Labs of the Future are becoming extremely popular with students, and because of all the money available for CTE, are readily fundable. Want to get one for your school? Here’s what you need to know.