Although the goal of universal literacy in the United States refers specifically to the literacy of adults, significant progress toward the goal is dependent to a great extent upon educational experiences prior to adulthood. Encouraging business involvement in strengthening the connection between school and work acknowledges the interrelationship of a literate adult population and its prior educational experiences. School-to-work transitions of noncollege-bound youth are needed to overcome the disconnection between education and work. During the past decade, business involvement with schools has increased. As a result, progress has been made toward achieving the objective of business involvement in strengthening the connection between education and work. In some communities, business leaders are entering into a new form of collaboration, known as work-education partnerships. Although work-education partnerships vary by their nature, effective partnerships share a number of common elements. Successful partnerships use brokers to develop links among all players, involve the right players, ensure commitment by developing a sense of ownership among the various organizations, develop a formal plan, establish an organization to manage the operation, and cultivate and maintain the partnership. (8 references) (YLB)