The Home Depot Next-Gen Workforce Strategy Externship

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Help the world’s largest home improvement retailer bridge the gap in skilled trades and design a bold new strategy to attract, train, and retain Gen Z technicians.

Overview

In this externship program, students will learn strategic consulting skills to analyze and evaluate challenges from non-profit organizations using consulting frameworks, in an overall effort to help them solve their important problems. Selected individuals will be paired with a specific non-profit organization and dive into their strategic problems, such as development, impact assessment, process improvements, talent engagement, communication, and strategic positioning. Throughout this externship program, professionals from PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) will provide mentorship and coaching.

The Experience

Learn about the strategy consulting process and how to help create value for a non-profit client based on their vision and mission
Research and develop an understanding of a given field
Analyze complex problems ranging from fundraising and development, stakeholder management, impact measurement, as well as use consulting frameworks to help identify problem areas and propose solutions
Learn to gather, analyze, and visualize data to inform problem areas and possible solutions
Create and deliver a compelling presentation to a non-profit client that incorporates valuable insights, trends, and recommendations

Qualifications

Ambitious undergraduate students with an interest in consulting, strategy, and non-profits. This program is for students who would like to understand the consulting profession while generating ideas to help impact non-profit organizations.

Program Overview

In this strategy-focused externship, you’ll explore the role of a workforce transformation consultant for The Home Depot.

As industries face a nationwide skilled trade shortage, you’ll explore how to attract Gen Z talent to the trades, design onboarding tools for distributed teams, and recommend scalable training strategies. By the end of the program, you’ll deliver a workforce acceleration roadmap grounded in real-world research and innovation.

What You’ll Deliver

Talent Gap Brief summarizing the root causes of the skilled labor shortage in field services
Gen Z Opportunity Map capturing career values, motivators, and trade interest signals
Cross-Sector Benchmarking Report analyzing 3+ organizations’ recruitment and onboarding strategies
Tech-Enabled Onboarding Concept with chatbot prototype and mobile-first learning ideas
Self-Assessment Tool to gauge new technicians’ trade confidence and tech fluency
Workforce Acceleration Roadmap outlining awareness, onboarding, development, and retention strategies
Insights & Recommendations Presentation delivered to The Home Depot executives

Skills You’ll Gain

Workforce strategy & research
Generational engagement planning
Comparative benchmarking
Talent funnel and onboarding design
Strategic storytelling & executive presentation

Why This Externship?

This externship directly supports The Home Depot’s mission to invest in the future of skilled labor, create career paths, and prepare a distributed workforce. Your work will help shape ideas that could inspire Gen Z to power America’s trades.

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Applications for this experience will ONLY be accepted through this application portal. The Home Depot will not be accepting any applications for this externship.

Externship Currently Closed
New applications are not currently being accepted.

Apply by September 20, 2025

The application process includes a written application, a self-recorded video, and a live Zoom interview.

Starts September 29, 2025

This Externship is a 10-hour-per-week fully remote experience. This program will last 8 weeks.

Starts September 29, 2025 and will last 8 weeks

$1000 Stipend

Students who successfully complete their externships will receive their stipends at the end of the program.

Eligibility

Students must be an undergraduate sophomore, junior, or rising senior attending a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the United States.

About

The Home Depot

Founded in 1978, The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement retailer, with 2,300 stores across North America and nearly 500,000 associates. Guided by eight core principles, including taking care of people, doing the right thing, giving back, and delivering excellent service, The Home Depot strives to put customers and associates first, believing that everything else will follow. To learn more about The Home Depot, please visit https://corporate.homedepot.com/page/about-us