Ability ASCEND - A Community of The ASCEND Collective

For Persons with Diverse-abilities

Ability ASCEND was created to help our community with diverse abilities become employment ready through self-help resources, mentoring and community-based advocacy. This community brings such unique talents, skills, and experiences to any organization. Everyone deserves the opportunity for employment that values them as a person, appreciates their unique skills and abilities, and provides them a path to success.

Read The ASCEND Ethos

Skills First Hiring Platform

As part of our process, we invite you to create a free skills profile. With our AI Powered Skills Matching Platform, we will start matching you to employment opportunities based on the skills that you have and would like to use in your next career. This platform is available for use to all Service Members, Veterans of all eras and branches, Guard and Reservists.

Video on How to Create a Skills Profile

7 Powerful Ways to Use Your Skills Profile

Create Your Skills Based Profile

No Resumes, No Job Boards

We do not pull jobs from the internet or an employer’s job board. We don’t send you to a job board to “apply”. We match candidates directly with employers, hiring managers or decision makers who are looking for your skills.

Get The Career You Want With The Respect You Deserve

Your experience, no matter how it was earned, is valuable. You earned it. You have highly transferable skills from that experience. Not just in jobs comparable to your previous title. Careers – where your skills are valued and your experience is needed.

The Compass Discovery Channels

At The ASCEND Collective, we believe success starts with understanding your potential. Through our partnership with the Foundation for Talent Transformation, participants embark on a personalized Compass Discovery Channels — an interactive experience that helps uncover their strengths, preferences, and motivations.

This isn’t a test — it’s a guided exploration of what makes each person unique. The insights gained translate into practical, skills-first career direction, showing how natural talents align with real-world opportunities across industries. Participants receive a personalized strengths profile and career navigation map, empowering them to make informed, confident choices about their professional future.

Whether transitioning from military service, re-entering the workforce, or seeking a more fulfilling career path, the Compass Discovery Channels offer clarity, confidence, and direction. It’s not about finding just any job — it’s about discovering where your skills, values, and purpose align.

From there, participants can continue their development through Northern Compass Academy’s career readiness tools — including personalized coaching, interview preparation, and access to The ASCEND Collective’s AI-powered matching platform, which connects talent to employers who value skills over resumés. Together, these resources provide a full-circle pathway to success, transforming insight into opportunity and potential into purpose.

Discover. Align. ASCEND.

Online Learning Hub

Ability ASCEND’s Online Learning Hub is now available. Here, you’ll find a range of resources and tools designed to help you build a strong personal brand, enhance your skills, and prepare for meaningful employment. Our courses are tailored to support your unique journey, providing insights into career planning, goal setting, networking strategies, and much more. Whether you are looking to transition into a new field or advance within your current career, this platform is here to guide and empower you every step of the way.

Enter the Learning Hub