Draft Day
Local employers sit down with Pikes Peak students to interview for real openings. Picture speed dating, but every conversation is a real interview for a real job.
Not a job fair. A hiring day.
A job fair hands out pamphlets. Draft Day hands a young person a real interview. Here is the difference, line for line.
| A job fair | Draft Day |
|---|---|
| Reps handing out flyers | Local employers with openings to fill |
| You browse booths and make small talk | You sit down for a real interview |
| Come as you are, just looking around | Dressed to interview, resume in hand |
| An opening someday, maybe, somewhere | A job or apprenticeship, right now |
| A tote bag and a stack of pamphlets | Next steps, and sometimes an offer |
The work is real because the need is real
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 70,000 job openings a year for automotive service technicians and mechanics nationwide through 2034. Shops across the Pikes Peak region feel that firsthand. Draft Day puts a motivated young person in front of the people doing the hiring, before the resume ever changes hands.
In their own words
We sat down with students during Draft Day. Here is what a few of them told us.
“It was just fun, and it went better than I expected. I have an opportunity for a part-time job this summer at Corwin Toyota.”
“I ate up those interviews, and I was told opportunities were available for me at the dealerships I interviewed with.”
“I feel very prepared to enter the automotive industry. It gave me a lot of new opportunities.”
What one day added up to
These come straight from the student survey, so the count is the count. Every figure is from a single day in the room.
Students interviewing for real openings
Local business partners in the room
Area school districts and colleges represented
Average student rating, and every student rated it 4 or 5
From our October 2025 automotive Draft Day.
The students come from across the region
Draft Day pulls students from districts and colleges all over the Pikes Peak region. Colorado Springs District 11 has committed to attending every Draft Day.
Bring your openings to Draft Day
If you hire in the Pikes Peak region, there is a seat for you at the table. If you want to help another way, there is room for that too.