The Dakota Biotechnology Rural Workforce Development Program is responsive to a regional workforce need by enabling current STEM students and recent STEM graduates in South Dakota’s rural communities to obtain specialized training in applications of biotechnology. This training is facilitated through the combination of an online Biotechnology Certificate with on-site, cohort-based internships offered through a network of biotechnology companies located within commuting distance of the interns’ home communities. Each internship opportunity is aligned with a specific long-term career opportunity to ensure seamless bridge-to-career internship outcomes. Spatial clustering across the network of participating companies enables the use of corporate vanpooling to ensure that each intern has reliable, no-cost job-site transportation. The Primary Goal of this program is to provide individuals from rural communities with access to experiential training and careers in the emerging field of biotechnology. The cross-sector partners of this program include: 1) a network of twenty-one companies hosting biotechnology-focused bridge-to-career internships; 2) a network of institutions of higher education (IHE) serving primarily rural communities; and 3) an External Evaluator. While the network of companies is responsible for administering the on-site, cohort-based, mentored internships, the institutions of higher education are responsible for vetting and approving all internships, mentor tra