Qualifications for Communications Professionals Trends Survey 2011

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1 Qualifications for Communications Professionals Trends Survey

2 Qualifications for Communications Professionals Trends Survey 2011 At PR Academy we are keen to find out about the trends in qualifications for communication practitioners so we surveyed our current and past students to find out more about their status and views on professional qualifications. We would like thank the 100+ people who participated in the study. Qualifications are exceptionally important because they are at the cornerstone of professional communications. PR Academy plans to run this survey annually to examine trends in communication qualifications. I welcome this report on trends in communications qualifications. Qualifications continue to play an important role in our drive to improve professional communications standards at HMRC. Our experience suggests that staff gaining qualifications benefit from higher levels of both knowledge and confidence. As a result they are better placed to provide strategic communications advice that, in turn, leads to better business outcomes. It s very important that we keep qualifications on the agenda, particularly when resources are under pressure and this survey is one of the ways we can do that. Simon MacDowall, Director of Communications and Marketing HM Revenue and Customs

3 Foreword by Ann Pilkington, Director of PR Academy Here at PR Academy, we have always known that qualifications matter we would be in the wrong business if we didn t! But now we have the research to prove it. Our first annual qualifications trends survey clearly shows a link between career progression and holding a professional communications qualification. So why is this? Well, the reasons are probably twofold: employers looking for someone who has that extra something on their CV and our graduates themselves increasing in confidence as a result of their studies. Confidence is what we think makes a PR Academy graduate really stand out. It comes from knowing that there is some theory and sound academic research underpinning what communications professionals do. Of course, experience counts for a lot, but it comes over time. A qualification, on the other hand, gets you there quicker. Interestingly, as economic times have got tougher, we have seen more people wanting to get qualified to recession proof themselves as one student put it. But in these times of austerity, qualified staff bring very real benefits for their organisations. An understanding of the principles of true planning based on sound research, with proper objectives etc not only makes campaigns more effective but saves money, because it prevents you from wasting time and energy on things that don t work. We hope that you find the survey results interesting, and we would love to hear your thoughts. From a private sector consultancy perspective, clients choose to work with us because we have good people and a track record for producing results. Our people become good through a combination of aptitude, experience and learning and in this economic climate, more than ever, we must continue to invest in professional training and qualifications at all levels. We have candidates studying for the CIPR Advanced Certificate and Diploma with PR Academy. It s hard work for them, fitting it around the day job, but they are committed to being PR professionals and these achievements will not be just academic but will help them to advance their careers. We recognise and reward their commitment by offering a training package which includes course fees and study leave and we benefit from having a motivated and knowledgeable team. This survey is revealing and timely; hopefully it will prompt those who are nervous about training budgets to find a smart solution that is not at the expense of up-skilling the PR workforce. Steve Falla FCIPR, Director, Orchard PR Contact us at info@pracademy.co.uk

4 Context Who is studying for a qualification?... A significant 84% of respondents work in-house a factor that can be attributed to a number of things. Consultancies are renowned for having smaller professional development budgets than public sector in-house departments and some of the larger agencies have developed their own training and qualifications programmes

5 Which sectors do people work in?... Students have traditionally come from the public sector and while almost half of students still come from this sector, numbers coming from the private sector are not far behind at 38%. The balance of students is expected to shift further in favour of the private sector as budget cuts bite

6 What levels students are working at? Of those surveyed 28% are operating with Director or Head of in their job titles. With most students choosing to study for professional qualifications when they are operating as Executives, Officers or Managers, these figures would also seem to support the link between qualifications and career progression

7 Students who hold a first degree With 75% of students holding a first degree, this confirms what we already know about public relations being a popular graduate career choice. It will be interesting to see how changes in higher education funding impact on this trend in future

8 Why people are studying (or have studied) for a professional qualification The answers really speak for themselves, but other comments included: Recognition by employers In my experience the best training allows for study and some course work. As a result you really do learn. It is far superior to an expensive conference where you are unlikely to put any learning into practice Recognised accreditation

9 Students who receive employer funding 65% of respondents indicated that their employers paid for them to study for a professional qualification. This is in keeping with a high proportion of students coming from the public sector, which traditionally invests in its people through learning and development. It will be interesting to see if our next annual survey highlights a decline in the number of employer funded students as we begin to feel the full effect of public sector budget cuts

10 Do professional qualifications lead to career progression? 80% of respondents indicated that holding a professional qualification has led/or are confident that it will lead to career progression/promotion. This is evidence of the growing recognition for professional qualifications in the field

11 Training v Qualifications: Which is valued more highly?... Interestingly, respondents were fairly evenly split between thinking a qualification is of most value (48%) and valuing qualifications and training about the same (44%). Training is about learning a new skill, whereas education is about more reflective, strategic thinking. While training teaches you how to do something, education and qualifications help you to develop the right strategy, without which practical skills can be ineffective

12 Students and graduates participating in a continuous professional development scheme While two thirds of respondents are participating in a continuous professional development programme, the remainder are missing out on the opportunity to receive extra credit for their studies. Studying for a CIPR professional qualification counts towards the CIPR CPD scheme, for example

13 About PR Academy PR Academy is the largest qualifications centre for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) qualifications. It delivers the full range of courses both face to face and online. More than 500 communication practitioners study with PR Academy every year. PR Academy also develops and delivers bespoke face-to-face and online courses for communication professionals, and offers career coaching. Public relations courses: CIPR Foundation Award (A-level standard) CIPR Advanced Certificate (Degree level) 10-month course CIPR Diploma (Masters level) 10-month course Specialist short courses: CIPR Internal Communication Certificate (Degree level) CIPR Internal Communication Diploma (Masters level) CIPR Public Affairs Diploma (Masters level) Contact details PR Academy The Maidstone Studios Vinters Park Maidstone Kent ME14 5NZ