As you create a network of employers you will be connecting with a broad cross-section of the community. As your circle of contacts expands, you will eventually want to focus your efforts. To make efficient use of time and resources, target employers most likely to be interested in getting involved with work-based learning. If their experience has been positive, they may be willing to form a partnership with you for work-based learning. Research local media such as newspapers, journals, and video archives for information on business involvement in school or community activities.
Every community has employers who are active in civic affairs.
Employers in nonprofit industries such as health care, social services, and government are active because they have an explicit mission to serve the community. For-profit employers often become involved in civic activities because they recognize it is good business sense to promote a positive public image by giving back to the community and the local consumers on whom they depend. Businesses in your area may be more willing to participate in work-based learning if they know the head office has endorsed it and if they have information on what other branches are doing. Contact the community relations specialist at the business's regional or national headquarters to obtain information on its policies for working with schools and a list of branches that are active in this way. For example, European systems integrate school and workplace learning and depend on the collaborative commitment of schools and businesses to invest in the lives of young people.