WSBCSS Engage Toolkit - Identify: Finding partners

Building strong industry and community partnerships starts with knowing where to look. This page brings together practical tools to help you identify potential partners using regional databases, directories, maps, and existing networks. Whether you’re using search engines to generate clean employer lists, exploring contacts within your school or district, or leveraging platforms like LinkedIn, these resources make it easier to find organizations that align with your pathways and student needs.

Use the guides and templates below to streamline your search and build a solid foundation for future outreach.

Regional Databases, Directories, & Maps

Major Employers by County

Find Employers

California EDD Labor Market Info

What you can do:

Search by county, city, region
Filter by industry sector (NAICS codes)
See employer name, size, and location
Downloadable data

Why it’s useful for you:

Perfect for industry advisory recruitment
Great for mapping employers by CTE sector
Helps verify labor market alignment for grants (CTEIG, SWP, Perkins)

Build a Clean Employer List Using Google Maps + ChatGPT

Exact prompts for Google Maps
Exact prompts for ChatGPT (including a version that works for the free plan)
Tips to ensure clean, accurate data for city-specific employer lists
Optional: Industry Sector dropdown instructions

Step-by-step instructions and Chatgpt Prompts

Unclean Data Example

Clean Data Example

Community Partnership Search Tools

GreatNonProfits.org

Idealist.org

Findhelp.org

There are many online search engines for finding community organizations, but here are a few of our favorites. These platforms help schools quickly identify nonprofits, youth programs, and community groups that can support CTE pathways through guest speaking, mentoring, events, work-based learning, or wraparound services.

GreatNonprofits.org: A review-based directory highlighting top-rated nonprofits in each community. Helps educators discover high-impact organizations that may be strong partners for advisories, mentoring, or pathway-aligned projects.

Idealist.org: A national hub for volunteer opportunities, internships, and nonprofit roles. Great for finding mission-aligned organizations that can offer guest speakers, service-learning projects, or student engagement opportunities.

FindHelp.org: A ZIP-code–based directory of local community services. Useful for identifying organizations that support student wellbeing, youth programs, and workforce-related resources.

Leveraging Existing Networks

Schools and districts often have more partnership opportunities than they realize. By intentionally tapping into both internal and external networks, you can quickly uncover potential industry and community partners who are already connected to your CTE pathways.

Collect internal contacts using this Google Form

Career Fair Recruitment Google Form

Internal Networks

Use your existing relationships within the school or district to identify potential partners. These connections often lead to warm introductions and highly engaged collaborators.

Teachers who previously worked in industry
Staff with personal or family connections to local businesses
Administrators who interact with community organizations
Alumni working in relevant sectors
Current parents or guardians working in high-demand industries

External Networks

Digital platforms and public directories can help you find new partners who align with your CTE pathways and regional labor market needs.

LinkedIn (industry professionals, HR contacts, company pages)
Local workforce boards and chambers of commerce
County or city business directories
Industry associations and trade groups
Professional networking events or community expos
Previous guest speakers or volunteers from outside the district

Step-by-step guide to use Linkedin to identify partners