Analysis of data pertaining to the nature, scope, and effectiveness of business involvement in employment and training programs reveals that private sector experiments in employment and training, such as the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) Title VII and the Skill Training Improvement Program (STIP), have produced results superior to those of standard CETA programs. The private sector programs examined generally exhibit higher placement and lower cost-per-placement rates than do their federally funded counterparts. While it is clear that business involvement can make a major difference in program results, it is equally clear that private sector involvement in employment-related programs has been limited. This is largely due to numerous obstacles in the CETA system, including a lack of funding, a lack of authority over staff and resources, and a lack of flexibility in program design. To encourage solid business participation in employment-related programs the federal government must work to improve the public image of CETA and to prepare the ground for local public/private action, rather than continue its heavily regulated and fragmented approach to administering CETA. (MN)