Since 2015, hundreds of college students from Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula have participated in Internship Draft Day at Lambeau Field. The event is like an NFL Draft, but instead of receiving a football contract, students can be awarded a scholarship, in addition to a possible paid internship by earning points.

Preregistered students receive points before the event based on their level of participation in clubs, past work experience, and Grade Point Average (GPA) documented on their resume. Students receive additional points during the draft day event based on their performance during scheduled interviews.

Each company doing interviews chooses their MVI – Most Valuable Interview at the end of the event. Then points of the preregistered students are calculated to determine the top draft picks. The top draft pick for each school is announced, followed by the overall #1 MVI. Students can also choose to network only and not schedule any interviews but will not be part of the scoring competition. Either way, Internship Draft Day is a win for college students and NEWMA member employers!

Northeast Wisconsin Educational Resource Alliance (NEW ERA) and the NEW Manufacturing Alliance (NEWMA) organize Internship Draft Day each year. The organizations work collaboratively to expand manufacturing career pathways and build a talent pipeline through internships.