The purpose of the proposed project is to strengthen conservation workforce development by enhancing undergraduate preparation for careers in fisheries, wetlands, and aquatic systems through targeted professional development and applied training. This approach directly supports the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) strategic priority of Professional Development by enhancing undergraduate preparation for conservation careers through interactive, research-based training modules integrated with applied internship experiences. Additionally, it indirectly advances the priority of Expanding Relevancy and Engagement by equipping early career professionals with communication and human-dimensions skills, enabling them to engage various publics effectively, build stakeholder trust, and implement best practices across agencies nationwide. The project will focus only on training relevant to sport fish and their associated habitat requirements. This proposal addresses these needs through a coordinated series of activities. First, a national survey will update agency perspectives on the competencies and barriers that early-career professionals face, capturing data from respondents across multiple regions and agency types. Using these insights, the project team will develop four interactive, research-informed online training modules, each approximately 20 minutes long, covering communication, human dimensions, and professional norms. Modules will integrate applied exercises, case scenarios, videos, podcasts, and story maps to actively engage pre-professional students and reinforce skill development. The modules will be embedded in summer sport fisheries-related internships for ten undergraduate students across ten host sites, providing real-world experience while ensuring that interns apply newly acquired skills under agency mentorship. Eight internships will be funded through this proposal and two will be supported by the Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands, and Aquatic Systems (JMI). The impact of the modules will be evaluated through applied assignments, surveys, and interviews with interns and mentors, and findings will inform the final version of the modules that will be disseminated nationally. Expected outcomes include increased competency and career confidence among interns, stronger agency-university partnerships, and creation of scalable, sustainable training resources for workforce development. Deliverables include the four online modules, a national survey dataset with summary reports, a technical report highlighting actionable recommendations, at least one peer-reviewed journal article, and at least one conference presentation. Online modules and project materials will be publicly available through the JMI website and disseminated to partner agencies, universities, and professional audiences nationwide. Intended beneficiaries include undergraduate students, agency mentors, universities, conservation organizations, and early-career professionals nationwide who will gain from improved preparation and professional development. By equipping future conservation professionals with critical communication and human-dimensions skills, this project not only strengthens agency capacity but also supports meaningful engagement with the public, fostering long-term support for fish and aquatic habitat management. There are no subrecipient activities.