The opportunities and impact of successful business-education partnerships extend well beyond preparing students for the world of work.

There is one overriding objective in developing these collaborative relationships – to nurture students so that they develop into full participants in our society. This means not only giving them work skills, but showing them how to apply their skills to every aspect of their lives.

Simply put, an investment in Canada's education is an investment with a very high payback.

The CCQEO will seek partnerships that:

• Are complementary to and in keeping with curriculum requirements
• Are consistent with the ethics and core values of all partners
• Are based on a clearly defined set of objectives and desired outcomes
• Recognize and respect each partner's expertise
• Include a research component to validate programming rationale, goals and outcomes
• Provide new opportunities that both enhance the quality and relevance of education for students, and meet the partners' shared social responsibilities toward education
• Involve all stakeholders in collaborative planning from the very beginning of the process to ensure that the entire school community is committed to the implementation