Developing and maintaining effective partnerships with employers has always been an important part of career and technical education (CTE). Recently, however, the need for and nature of these relationships have changed. Effective partnerships are no longer focused on specific activities and programs or employers merely donating resources or money; instead, employers are becoming actively involved in improving education. Traditional one-on-one pairing of schools and businesses is also being replaced by collaborations addressing educational improvement/reform and involving intermediaries. Three examples of intermediaries that foster development of education-business relationships are as follows: (1) the Gulf Coast Process Technology Alliance; (2) the Prosser School of Technology Heavy Equipment Operation Program; and (3) the Partnership for America's Future, Inc. All three examples involve multiple employers and educational institutions, provide applied learning opportunities, and offer valuable lessons about the following aspects of school-business partnerships: (1) planning and development; (2) implementation and management; (3) monitoring and evaluation; and (4) planning for the future. CTE educators can take the following steps to establish and maintain effective partnerships: (1) develop the partnership on the basis of mutual needs; (2) if possible, work with multiple employers; (3) involve all stakeholders; and (4) be sensitive to business culture. (Contains 11 references.) (MN)