JSDC opens Workforce Pathways Program to boost Stutsman County jobs

A Stutsman County employer can now shave as much as $3,500 off the payroll cost of an internship, a program JSDC says is meant to turn paid student work into a direct path to jobs in Jamestown and across the county.

The Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corporation opened applications for its Workforce Pathways Program, which reimburses local employers for up to half of an internship’s payroll cost. At an $8,000 projected payroll cost, an employer could qualify for the full $3,500 reimbursement. At $4,000, the reimbursement would be $2,000. JSDC said it will review applications quarterly and award eligible employers after each deadline.

The program is limited to employers and internship positions located in Stutsman County. Interns must be juniors or seniors, or within two years of completing their program, and employers must pay at least $15 an hour. The employer has to apply before the intern starts work. The internship does not have to count for academic credit, although JSDC encourages that arrangement, and a full-time position must be available for the intern to step into after graduation.

JSDC said the program, previously known as the Internship Reimbursement Program, is designed to help local businesses meet immediate staffing needs while building a pipeline of workers for the future. That matters in a county where employers are looking for more trained people to fill high-demand jobs and keep those workers in the local economy after graduation.

The push follows a busy year for the program. In 2025, JSDC approved seven internships under the earlier name, including six reimbursements at the full $3,500 level and one at $1,425. In November 2025, the board approved another $35,000 in funding to keep the effort going. JSDC, the lead economic development organization for Jamestown and Stutsman County, says the goal is to strengthen the local economy by supporting business growth and creating quality primary sector jobs.