National grant to fund new biomanufacturing training program in South Dakota

South Dakota biotech organizations combined to become one of only six teams nationwide awarded national funding for an effort to develop a workforce training program aimed at building the next generation of biomanufacturing talent.

Dakota BioWorx in partnership with South Dakota Biotech was awarded an education and workforce grant through BioMADE, a national public-private partnership advancing U.S. bioindustrial manufacturing. It is the only funded team based outside the coasts.

The project will focus on designing a pre-apprenticeship training program to prepare workers for careers in biomanufacturing, a rapidly growing industry that uses biological systems to convert agricultural products into high-value materials, chemicals and fuels.

The program will center on work-based learning at Dakota BioWorx’s pilot-scale facility in Brookings, where participants will gain hands-on experience with equipment, process controls and safety protocols that mirror commercial operations.

That approach is intended to better prepare workers for large-scale biomanufacturing, which requires different skills than traditional lab-based training.

“This funding allows us to build a workforce pipeline that matches the scale and sophistication of modern biomanufacturing,” said Dr. Neal Connors, chief scientific officer for Dakota BioWorx and principal investigator on the grant. “By training individuals in an industry-relevant environment from day one, we are strengthening South Dakota’s competitive position in the national bioeconomy.”

South Dakota Biotech is partnering with Dakota BioWorx and South Dakota State University to help shape the program and align industry, education and workforce systems across the region.

“Workforce development is foundational to the growth of the biotech sector,” said Dr. Kara McCormick, director of science and operations for South Dakota Biotech and co-principal investigator on the grant. “This initiative brings together key partners to ensure South Dakota companies have access to the skilled talent they need to grow.”

The Midwest — and South Dakota in particular — is well-positioned to benefit from the industry because of its access to agricultural feedstocks, she said.

“South Dakota and our regional counterparts are uniquely positioned to support bioproduct development due to the easy access to raw agricultural products,” McCormick said.

An initial pilot course is expected to launch this summer in partnership with Start Today SD, a program of the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. Organizers are actively recruiting both participants and industry partners.

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