The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts held a breakfast meeting on March 19th moderated by Fed First Vice President Kenneth Montgomery that was designed to bring together businesses, government and academic institutions to collaborate on internships, as well as to support employers, especially those not currently offering internships, in developing a program and finding quality interns.

Governor Patrick and Chamber President Paul Guzzi kicked off the program with a discussion of the importance of retaining talent in the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth's efforts to retain talent, and the ongoing collaboration between the State, the Chamber and business groups.

Yolanda Kodrzycki, Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston's New England Public Policy Center, presented findings regarding regional labor market challenges and how internships can help employers retain students from colleges in the region.

Maribeth Nash, Senior Vice President at State Street, and Anne Bailey Berman, President and CEO of Chadwick Martin Bailey, discussed how both large and small employers can establish and manage internship programs and how internships benefit organizations.

Helen Drinan, President of Simmons College, described what students seek in their internships, and how academic institutions connect with employers.

Janet Sun, Vice President of Marketing at Experience, concluded the session with information on several on-line tools for connecting students with internships in New England.

Agenda

More Information

• Biographies of presenters
• Chamber Intern Connect Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce's online resource to bring businesses together with local students seeking work-based internships
• Mass It's All Here, and Experience, Inc. Part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Talent Retention Initiative designed to bring students together with Massachusetts businesses, non-profits, and government agencies seeking interns