New England has long been a great place to go to college. Increasingly it could be a great place to get a meaningful workplace internship, while in school.

On Tuesday, more than a dozen organizations meeting at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston agreed to work together and expand their impact on internships and talent retention, going forward. The gathering was co-hosted by the Bank and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and included employers, business organizations, employment specialists, and others.

"New England retains a lower share of students after graduation than other regions - in part because so many come from elsewhere to study here," said Alicia Sasser-Modestino, an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, which hosted the gathering.

An internship can connect a student raised in New England, or here for school, with companies and institutions beyond the campus - the organizations that need brainpower and talent to propel their business.

"Internships are a ‘win-win,' but they take a bit of effort," said Ken Montgomery, First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. "So we are pleased that a diverse group of organizations convened here at the Boston Fed, to continue making progress and to share ‘lessons learned' with each other. We'll be continuing the collaboration and warmly welcome others to join. Ultimately internships are good for all involved, and the region's economy."

"Talent is the fundamental building block of a competitive economy," added Paul Guzzi, President and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. "It has enabled New England to reinvigorate its econom several times in its history. Everyone realizes that internships can be the ‘glue' that keeps talent in our region."

"Collaboration like this can help the participants overcome hurdles and reach scale," said Eric Rosengren, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

Students and employers can check out the "Chamber Intern Connect" website (intern.bostonchamber.com), which lists internships available at Greater Boston Chamber member companies. Colleges and businesses can work with local chambers of commerce to explore internship opportunities or contact the Greater Boston Chamber. And organizations interested in joining this collaboration can contact the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston's Assistant Vice President for Human Resources, Krista Blair.