Trinity Access students to meet with Mary Daly, Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Posted on: 10 February 2020
US economist Mary Daly, current CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, is set to meet with undergraduate students from Trinity College Dublin’s Access programmes this week to discuss the value of an inclusive economy, and the value of removing talent gaps in professional industries.
Trinity Access aims to transform the Irish educational system so that each and every student has the opportunity to reach their full academic potential. Their mentoring, internship and Pathways to College programmes provide students with the leadership skills, resilience and aptitude to pursue and succeed at third level and beyond.
Approximately 250 students join the college through alternative access routes each year, making it one of the largest access programmes in the country.
Unfortunately, studies have shown that as in other economies, professional industries in Ireland still suffer from what Mary Daly refers to as a ‘misallocation of talent’ – with access to the established graduate professions still dominated by students from higher socio-economic groups, and little social mobility in key professional areas.
This talent misallocation affects individuals, but it can also affect economic stability as a whole – and equalising educational attainment rates and career opportunities for less advantaged groups could produce a considerable economic boost in Ireland and abroad.
As part of her visit to Trinity, Mary Daly will meet with Trinity Access Ambassador students to talk about the value of an inclusive economy, and what can be done to correct this misallocation of talent – in Ireland and abroad, by each of us and by society as a whole.
Speaking about the event, Dr Cliona Hannon, Trinity Access Director, said:
“We are honoured to have the opportunity for Trinity Access students to discuss diversity and inclusion in higher education with President Daly. Our experience is that role models such as President Daly, who have broken both glass and class ceilings, have an inspirational impact on younger students.”
The Trinity Access Ambassadors are undergraduate students who volunteer with school groups, fellow students and communities as mentors, tour guides and tutors for post-primary students from areas of low progression.
Their meeting with Mary Daly marks the second in a series of ‘fireside chats’ with leaders of industry, following last year’s event with Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn.