The Starkloff Career Academy is the Starkloff Disability Institute’s premier employment education program. Working with Starkloff career experts in our online classroom, adults with disabilities gain the skills and confidence to succeed in the workplace.

We focus on building lifelong career success, not just a paycheck. Classes are designed to meet specific needs, from entering the workforce to taking on leadership roles. This continuum helps disabled candidates sustain their success and thrive at work and in their community.

Disabled staff with years of professional experience deliver Starkloff’s proprietary curriculum, covering topics such as:

• Job goals and workplace values
• Mental health and career management
• The STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method
• Disability and accommodation
• Networking skills
• Writing resumes and cover letters
• Handling workplace conflicts
• Strategies for long-term career growth

Along with our expertise in disability, we partner with hiring managers and leaders at St. Louis’ biggest companies to give candidates an inside look at the hiring process and how to rise to the top of the talent pool. The Starkloff Career Academy has three levels: Foundation, Transitions, and Advancements. These tracks were designed together to meet individuals where they are in both their career journeys and their personal disability experiences, and offer the right amount of learning and support.

• Foundations: Our introductory program helps people with disabilities gain the foundational knowledge, skills, and tools they need to start their career journey. These candidates, looking for a first job, enroll in a 4-week live online class.
• Transitions: This level is for candidates who want to translate their knowledge, skills, and experiences into new opportunities as they explore new industries, specialties, and career paths. These individuals, who may be changing careers or responding to newly acquired disabilities, spend 8 weeks working with resources in our online classroom and meet informally for weekly support sessions as well as career coaching.
• Advancements: Through this program, our team mentors disabled professionals who want to become supervisors or take on leadership opportunities. Through self-paced online classroom resources, virtual lunch-and-learns with guest experts, and monthly opportunities to network with their peers, this program is ongoing, providing support and career mentorship.

The Starkloff Career Academy will meet candidates wherever they are on their career journey with a pathway specifically designed by and for professionals with disabilities. Along with our powerful curriculum, the Starkloff Career Academy includes discussion and support from peers—other disabled professionals who share and live the same experiences. Building this network is key to long-term career success.

Launched in 2012, Starkloff Career Academy has a proven track record. Candidates graduate with a stronger understanding of how to succeed as professionals with disabilities as architects, customer service specialists, recruiters, teachers, and beyond. As a result, 80% of our graduates advance their careers.

Visit StarkloffWorks.org to connect with our Career Academy staff and find out more about this program and if it’s right for you!