Community-based organizations (CBOs) have been an integral part of the employment and training programs of the past two decades and have provided a wide variety of services to youth and adults alike. The vast differences between different CBOs make it impossible to draw definitive, generalizable conclusions about them. It appears, however, that partnerships between school systems and CBOs (particularly in the area of prevocational education and supportive services) can reattract to the system people who might otherwise have given up and can provide disadvantaged youth and adults the fundamental and basic skills needed to succeed in secondary and postsecondary programs. The Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act has laid the foundation and provided the funding for new partnerships between CBOs and vocational education. Technical barriers to coordination can be overcome by adopting longer-range planning horizons, face-to-face meetings between vocational educators and CBO staff (to eliminate false stereotypes), developing suitable accountability procedures, and contracting with CBOs that have demonstrated the ability to manage and account for funds. A variety of program models are possible, including vocational orientation and counseling, remedial education, career education in an alternative high school setting, employment and work experience programs, and combined/comprehensive programs. (Models of 10 exemplary programs and sources of information about specific CBOs are appended.) (MN)