Well-supported employer participation is essential to successful workforce development programs. The Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which funds a system of programs throughout the country that assist individuals, including youth with disabilities, in overcoming barriers to employment through job training and placement, gave heightened attention to the role of employers. There are important provisions in WIA designed to attract more employers to the nation's workforce investment system, including the establishment of Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), which are policy making entities led by employers. This document discusses the function of community-wide intermediaries. (Contains 2 tables.) [Brief also prepared by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth.]