New Learning Experience

Northern Compass Academy is expanding.
Introducing the Vanguard Rising Learning Lab.

Vanguard Rising is our experiential, applied learning lab — designed to prepare talent for the future of work through skills-first translation, career readiness, and real-world, project-based learning.

Explore Vanguard Rising →

Talent Advocacy

Hiring veterans, military spouses, and service members shouldn’t feel like guesswork. Yet most programs focus on volume — handing employers resumés, job fairs, and databases, but not clarity, not readiness, and not certainty.

The ASCEND Collective is different.

We focus on capability.

We know the potential these candidates bring, and we refuse to let it get lost in outdated hiring funnels. The ASCEND Collective doesn’t rely on job fairs or resumé databases that waste time and money. Instead, we use AI-powered skills translation, customized career support, and experiential, applied learning inside our Vanguard Rising Lab to ensure our candidates are truly workplace-ready.

The talent is out there, ready to rise, to contribute, to belong — we make sure you meet them.

Looking to Hire Great Talent? Let's Talk!

Looking for career assistance?

With Your Investment

Your sponsorship and hiring fees fuel more than programs — it creates readiness, confidence, and opportunity.

Your donation powers our AI-enabled skills translation, customized career support, and experiential, applied learning inside the Vanguard Rising Lab, ensuring candidates are truly workplace-ready before they ever meet an employer.

What that looks like in action:

🔹 10,000+ skills translations completed, helping military-connected and underserved talent articulate their capabilities in civilian-ready language

🔹 8,000+ interviews and direct skills-to-role matches, without relying on resumés or job fairs

🔹 Hundreds of participants trained through career readiness tools, applied learning, and real-world projects

🔹 Lower hiring risk for employers and faster pathways to meaningful employment for candidates

**We prepare talent before they reach an organization — equipping them with the skills, language, and confidence to solve real business problems through hands-on, project-based learning.**

Corporations - Join the Mission

Volunteer

Ready to Hire Skilled Talent? Let's Talk!

Ways to Give

Your Dollar at Work

90% of every dollar you give goes directly to fueling futures, supporting:

Military veterans and transitioning service members
Military spouses navigating frequent career disruption
Individuals with diverse abilities
Justice-impacted talent rebuilding economic stability
Small business founders creating jobs in their communities

Your support provides visibility instead of barriers, readiness instead of guesswork, and pathways instead of dead ends.

This isn’t charity.
It’s workforce transformation.

Your gift doesn’t just fund programs — it transforms lives, strengthens communities, and builds a future-ready workforce.

You are Elevating Talent.
Empowering Futures.
Building Communities to ASCEND.

Thank you for being a partner in this mission.

Are you looking for a new career?

Tired of submitting resumes that never lead to an interview?
Want to translate your experience into transferable skills?

We don’t push you into job boards, resumés, or job fairs that leave you feeling overlooked.

We focus on you — your skills, your potential, and your readiness.

Build your FREE skills profile now and transform your life. Save a pdf of your skills profile and use it to talk about your skills during an interview, update your LinkedIn profile and other documents. Be proud of who you are – refuse to be judged on where you’ve been. After you complete your skills translation, come back here for additional career readiness tools, training and resources.

Build Your Skills Profile

Our Commitment.

Value Service. Stronger Businesses. Thriving Communities.

Hire Skilled Talent

Looking for career assistance?

The ASCEND Collective is proud to support our nation’s military and veteran community through our partnerships with the Department of Defense SkillBridge, The Department of Labor Employment Navigator Program and the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP).

SkillBridge: Our SkillBridge program provides transitioning service members with hands-on, competency-based training that builds directly on their military experience while preparing them for meaningful civilian careers. Through structured roles, mentorship, and real-world projects, participants gain practical skills in high-demand fields such as communications, operations, data, HR, and community engagement. We support every service member with personalized guidance, professional development, and a mission-focused environment that empowers them to translate their strengths into long-term career success.
DOL Employment Navigator: As a proud partner of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment Navigator and Partnership Program (ENPP), The ASCEND Collective provides personalized career guidance and employment support to service members as they transition from military to civilian life. Through this partnership, we deliver one-on-one career counseling, skills pathways, career readiness tools, and direct connections to skills-first employment opportunities tailored to each individual’s goals.
Military Spouse Employment Partner: As a recognized Department of Labor Military Spouse Employment Partner, The ASCEND Collective is committed to empowering military spouses with career support that meets the unique challenges of a mobile, service-driven lifestyle. We provide personalized career coaching, skills pathways, LinkedIn optimization, and direct connections to portable, skills-first employment opportunities in high-demand fields. Through this partnership, we help military spouses strengthen their confidence, showcase their transferable skills, and build meaningful careers that can thrive through PCS moves, deployments, and the demands of military family life.

Candidates Find Your Community for Additional Resources

Looking to Make a Difference?

DONATE or VOLUNTEER

Need additional resources for networking, training, career readiness and resources?

We are here to help!

Email: TalentSuccess@theascendcollective.org

Northern Compass Academy is expanding. Introducing the Vanguard Rising Learning Lab.