Because of their special ties to the community, community-based organizations (CBOs) are often able to be more responsive to the needs of local or special populations than can mainstream institutions such as schools and government-funded employment services. CBOs such as Service Employment Redevelopment (SER), the National Urban League, and Operation Mainstream have been especially effective in working with disabled, disadvantaged, minority, and limited-English speaking individuals. Despite their advantages, most CBOs are not in a position to provide the highest-quality vocational programs on their own--hence the need for collaboration between CBOs and vocational education. A wide array of partnerships are possible, depending on such factors as the size and resources of the CBO in question, its target clientele, its overall goals, and the types and extent of services that it has developed on its own. Possible foci for partnerships between a CBO and vocational education include vocational orientation and counseling, remedial education, career education in an alternative high school setting, employment and work experience programs, and combined/comprehensive programs. The barriers that have been found to interfere with some CBO/vocational education partnerships, such as "turf" problems, unwillingness to expend funds for services that another agency can provide, and interagency competition for clients, can often be overcome by careful preliminary planning and face-to-face meetings between the collaborating parties to foster an understanding of each other's goals and concerns and to develop mutually suitable goals and strategies. The Opportunities Academy of Management Training has developed a 12-point plan for establishing local partnerships and a 7-point plan for establishing state partnerships. (MN)