Darnell Epps on opening career pathways

Darnell Epps on opening career pathways

From HBS Managing the Future of Work by Harvard Business School

May 13, 2026 · 39 min

About this episode

Darnell Epps discusses the importance of making skills visible to improve job matching for vocational program graduates.

Demand for skilled-trades workers remains high, yet many graduates of vocational programs struggle to land jobs. The founder and CEO of Thurgood Industries discusses how making skills visible through portfolios of real work can improve matching and expand access to opportunity. He also reflects on his own path—from incarceration to Yale Law School and founding a workforce platform—and how it informs his approach to building more inclusive career pathways.

People in this episode

Guest: Darnell Epps

Topics covered

  • skilled trades
  • vocational programs
  • career pathways
  • inclusivity
  • workforce development

Keywords

  • skilled trades
  • vocational programs
  • career pathways
  • inclusivity
  • workforce platform
  • Darnell Epps
  • Thurgood Industries

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Thurgood Industries, Yale Law School

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