A community based (Conejo Valley, California) vocational program was designed to give handicapped junior and senior high school students a variety of real world experiences in the natural setting. Advantages of the community based approach include immediate transfer of learning, opportunities for generalization, provision of role models by other employees, and realistic work behavior requirements. Students are paid by the corporate employer and receive work experience credit. Student interns are requisitioned by company departments and the school system contacts special education staff and parents. Unique elements of the program include job coaches provided by the company, group structure providing students with a support group, presence of the school district instructor on the job site to provide instruction occurring on the job site, and the wage stipend provided by the employer. Participation by the corporation since 1985 has demonstrated that none of the original concerns (such as the amount of training necessary) were warranted. Among suggestions for implementation of such a program are the building of personal relationships with business and industry, surveying the needs of the local labor market, using job coaches or mentors, and presentation to corporate personnel by school district personnel of a workshop on handicap awareness. (DB)