STARS impacts young adults by giving them the skill base for the future. Curriculum encompasses survival fundamentals such as cooking, laundry, and budgeting that encourage and enable them to live independently with confidence. These life skills are implemented when they have the opportunity to stay in an apartment setting.

The students participate in career assessments. These include interest inventories and skill-training assessments. They assist in determining what type of employment would be good for the student to pursue.

The STARS program also incorporates a work component that demonstrates to students the skills that are necessary to obtain and maintain a job such as interviewing, resume writing, and work-appropriate behavior. After they learn these skills, they move on to job development.

Students earn while they learn in the STARS program. They perform job tryouts in the community to ascertain whether that job is what they want and are able to do. The goal is for the students to obtain and maintain their employment for more than 90 days and continue it after the program.

This program is a collaborative effort by Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth/Michigan Rehabilitation Services, Livingston Educational Service Agency and Work Skills Corporation.