When managed properly interns can be a great asset to an organization during the summer or school year. They can be hard working, diligent and come with enough aptitude or basic skills to learn on the job.  But they also have relatively no experience and if you rely on them too much you’ll miss them in your business when their term ends.

Considering the pros and cons of hiring interns there is also the question of resources. Do you have enough to pay them, and if so would you?

If you saw David Cancel's presentation at Angel Bootcamp or read Healy Jones's recent post on how founders in Boston are "Students who stay," you know that the issue of student retention is on the mind of a number of members of our community.   In honor of Scott Kirsner's "Innovation Month" and his challenge to local bloggers to write about "something that is happening -- or should be happening -- here to make the innovation scene in New England even better?"  I'd like to share how I think we can dramatically improve our retention of students: Hire them.