This document is intended as a guide to help employers, training providers, and others develop effective partnerships with leading-edge community colleges. The document begins with an overview of the strategies used by four effective training partnership initiatives involving the following corporations and community colleges: Sequins, International, and LaGuardia Community College (New York); Daimler-Chrysler and Macomb Community College (Georgia); Intel and Mission College (California); and Boeing and Shoreline Community College (Washington). In the remaining 6 sections of the guide, the following issues that are likely to be raised by employers who are considering using community colleges as training providers are addressed by drawing upon the experiences of the 4 partnerships: (1) understanding the economic rationale for investing in workers; (2) choosing the appropriate community college to provide training; (3) structuring the partnership; (4) developing and delivering the curriculum; (5) determining training costs and formulating a budget; and (6) assessing partnerships. The guide's conclusion presents and discusses lessons learned, including the following: (1) employers should seek community colleges that combine capacity, area expertise, and flexibility; (2) employers and community colleges must define their roles clearly; (3) partnerships should incorporate extensive curriculum planning; and (4) the curriculum, program delivery, and teaching should reflect the workplace. (MN)