An internship can help launch a career. A strong community can help build a future.
The WestGate@Crane Summer Intern Program is helping college students find both.
For its innovative approach to talent development and retention, the program received the 2026 Talent Innovation Award during Regional Opportunity Initiatives’ Annual Report to the Region on Oct. 2.
Facilitated by Purdue@WestGate, the Summer Intern Program brings together interns from Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, and defense contractors with facilities at WestGate@Crane Technology Park.
By combining professional development, industry exposure, relationship building, and community connection, the WestGate@Crane Summer Intern Program shows college interns that the Indiana Uplands can offer not only an internship, but a place to build a career and a life.
While interns are assigned to specific employers, the Summer Intern Program extends workforce development beyond the boundaries of each organization through a series of learning and networking events.
In its third year, the 2026 summer series brought together approximately 180 college interns for a variety of professional development sessions, exposing participants to defense, engineering, emerging technologies, defense industry career pathways, resume development, networking strategies, and skills for transitioning from college to careers.
The sessions also addressed an important component of talent attraction and retention: helping young professionals envision a future for themselves in the Indiana Uplands.
Interns learned how to get involved in local communities, what work-life balance can look like in the region, where they might find a home, and the benefits of living and working in the Indiana Uplands.
Developed in partnership with NSWC Crane recruiters and participating defense contractors, the program reflects a shared commitment to developing and retaining the region’s future workforce.
Strong relationships and lasting connections are the fabric of the Indiana Uplands. Through the Summer Intern Program, interns build relationships across the defense community while gaining a broader understanding of the region’s interconnected defense and technology ecosystem.
The program demonstrates how employers, higher education, and industry partners can work together to strengthen the regional workforce while helping talented young professionals build connections to both career opportunities and community life in the Indiana Uplands.
About the Award
The Talent Innovation Award recognizes an entity that has designed and deployed an innovative strategy to improve the regional workforce through training, skill advancement, or the attraction of talent to the Indiana Uplands.