⭐Are you are a veteran, military spouse, veteran spouse, Guard, or Reservist and interested in participating in the Vanguard Rising Lab? Apply using the button below.⭐
A STRATEGIC FUTURE FOR U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS
Empowering careers. Building community. Changing lives.
As you prepare to transition from military service, you deserve meaningful opportunities that recognize your skills, expand your experience, and position you for success in your civilian career.
Through a SkillBridge internship with The ASCEND Collective, you can directly support our mission while gaining hands-on experience in workforce development, talent matching, data, outreach, communications, and organizational strategy.
Our programs—including Northern Compass Academy, Boots2Bytes, and our Vanguard Rising Lab—help veterans, military spouses, and underserved talent ascend toward meaningful careers using a skills-first, human-centered approach.
Now, you can help lead that impact.
Why Choose The ASCEND Collective for Your SkillBridge?
- Mission-aligned: You’ll continue serving military families, veterans, spouses, and underserved communities.
- Resume-ready experience: Build real-world expertise in workforce, HR, business development, data, and nonprofit operations.
- Meaningful impact: The work you do creates opportunity, reduces underemployment, combats food insecurity, and directly supports economic mobility.
- Agile Workflow certification: Experiential, applied learning to gain hands-on, practical knowledge.
- Professional network expansion: Connect with employers, community leaders, and national partners.
- Supportive environment: Our team understands military transition—we’ve helped thousands navigate the same path.
HOW OUR PROGRAM WORKS
Work With Us
You can choose between four career paths.
- Career and Education Support Track – Ideal for those interested in HR, workforce development, coaching, training, or people operations.
- Employer and Business Engagement Track – Great for those interested in business development, HR, recruiting, sales, or outreach.
- Community Outreach and Communications Track – Perfect for interns interested in communications, marketing, public affairs, storytelling, or advocacy.
- Organizational, Data, and Operations Support Track – Excellent for interns interested in analytics, project management, nonprofit operations, or administration.
Learn With Us in the Vanguard Rising Lab
You can choose between four career certification paths.
- Agile Workflow – Applies across career industries.
- Cybersecurity – Designed to prepare participants for the realities of modern cyber roles by combining technical foundations with real-world execution.
- Software Engineering – Prepares participants to move beyond coding in isolation and into the realities of modern, team-based software development.
- Distribution/Operations/Logistics – Prepares participants to lead and execute in complex, fast-moving environments where efficiency, coordination, and accountability are critical.
Match Your Skills
With your profile, you will also be matched with employers for career opportunities at their company.
Connect to Resources
We have an extensive network or mentors, coaches, groups and connections to work with you.
Ready to Start Your SkillBridge Journey?
We’d be honored to support your transition.
Fill out the form below and we will be in contact with you!
Your service has already changed lives—now let’s build the next chapter together and help even more people ASCEND.
U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS REGISTER HERE FOR YOUR MAIP
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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.