Meet Our New Skillbridge Intern! Connor Darby

November 10, 2025

CPE is happy to announce the arrival of our first Skillbridge intern, Connor Darby! Skillbridge is a workforce preparation program offered through the U.S. Department of Defense to service members who are transitioning out of enlistment.

A native of Jessamine County, Connor joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2021 after high school graduation. During his service, he has been stationed in Belgium, Moldova and Japan, but that didn't stop him from pursuing higher education, completing an online bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of the Cumberlands in 2024!

We sat down with Connor to discuss his journey to CPE and personal goals.

What is your intended career trajectory, and how do you anticipate your work at CPE to help with that goal?

My intended career trajectory is to delve into law enforcement. Law enforcement has always been something I was interested in. When I went into the military, I was always around it. I worked heavily with secret service and diplomatic security agents, and it really gave me a good base of what they do, which intrigued me.

But I'm not limiting myself to that profession just yet. I'm hoping that my experience at CPE will help me determine if there's more out there for me, that there could be a different path waiting for me.

If you were to look back at who you were when you first entered service, and compare it to now, what essential skills did you develop during your journey? 

Teamwork. I learned how to talk to people who didn’t grow up in the same place I did and came from all walks of life. Learning how to communicate with them on their level, I think, was an important skill I learned along the way. 

You’ve spent over three years overseas serving in places like Belgium, Moldova, and Japan. What do you think will be the biggest adjustment for you in transitioning from the Marine Corps to a civilian work environment?

I think the biggest adjustment for me is being on my own. I have to make my own schedule and get my tasks done. Though the transition feels a lot more relaxed and calm, adjusting to a normal schedule will be my biggest challenge.

What type of contribution do you hope your work will make at CPE?

During my time here, I want to do something to help service members like me transition back to civilian life. It can be super scary, because you just don't know where that next paycheck is going to come from. I want to help with that, and expanding the Heroes 2 Healers program seems like the way to do it. It's a program designed to support the transition of military-trained healthcare professionals into the healthcare workforce. I'm hoping I can work with schools to get more on board with the program, as well as help with outreach to get more eligible veterans involved.

Why does the work we do at CPE matter to you? Why should others tune in?

I think people should care about CPE's work because workforce preparation and the success of veterans can really have a positive impact. We’re in a really unique position here being a state agency that can reach out and work with other state agencies and private sectors to get these veterans on the right path of financial and career stability.

Fun Fact about Connor: During his travels, Connor has visited 17 countries, and his favorite out of all of them is Switzerland!

CPE's Workforce and Economic Development Unit plays a critical role in producing adaptive, highly skilled workers to fuel Kentucky’s economy. The unit works to build partnerships between the state’s employers and campuses to strengthen the recruitment of students in high-need fields, as well as expand programs to meet community, regional and state workforce demand.  

To learn more about the unit, click here: https://cpe.ky.gov/ourwork/workforce.html. 

For more information about Skillbridge, visit https://justice.ky.gov/Boards-Commissions/KLEC/programs/Pages/m2le.aspx