Head to Head: Can higher education really train future PR executives?
In this series, Mumbrella invites the most senior PR professionals to share their opposing views on the industry's biggest issues. This week, Primary Communication's Jenny Muir goes head to head with Poem's co-founder Rob Lowe.
This week’s debate is centred around whether or not higher education can effectively train future public relations professionals. Muir argues yes, as higher education provides young adults with critical thinking skills and helps build a foundation of knowledge across diverse areas. In contrast, Poem’s Rob Lowe argues university courses are struggling to keep up with the changing media landscape.
Who do you agree with?
Can higher education really train future PR executives?
Yes, argues, Jenny Muir, chief counsel, Primary Communication:
“Higher education in Australia educates broadly and is currently designed to build knowledge and critical thinking as well as the necessary skills across our diverse profession.
“With 81% of PR and communication industry practitioners with a university degree or higher, the challenge is to ensure that our education and training ecosystem stays in lock step with the level of demand for skilled professionals, while responding to the disruption we are experiencing.
“Higher education contributes to building a strong foundation of knowledge in diverse subject areas – from the fundamentals of storytelling using many mediums and technologies, through to a deep understanding and application of international relations, politics, design thinking, behavioural sciences, business and economics, banking and law.
“There are very few businesses or organisations who don’t rely on the skills and knowledge of a PR and communication professional these days, and this is only going to increase in the future.
“Since 2012 the demand for digital skills has increased by more than 200%, critical thinking by more than 150%, and creativity by more than 60% and presentation skills by 25%. All these skills are at the core of a PR and communication professional’s skillset, and tertiary education is the starting point for learning in all these areas, but it is not the end point.
“Whether you chose a university, TAFE or private college, tertiary education courses support a person’s ability to enter into the PR and communication industry and contribute meaningfully. Job readiness for graduates is still a contentious issue, however the responsibility for a person’s ability to contribute meaningfully and develop their skills and knowledge is an ongoing tripartite between the educator, the individual and the employer.
“As we transition into a new employment paradigm, on-the-job training and access to knowledge and learning needs to increase. The individual professional must also have a commitment to their own growth and learning to remain relevant to their employment opportunities. Universities and educators need to ensure that their offering is in sync with the current and future workforce, and organisations like PRIA need to ensure that industry standards are supported and maintained, training and knowledge is available, to ensure that there is a high level of confidence in our professional abilities.”
No, argues, Rob Lowe, co-founder of Poem:
“If you work in the media industry, you’ll be very aware of how quickly it’s changing. Most agencies, let alone university courses, are struggling to keep up. And that’s especially relevant to the PR industry. Gone are the days of relying on cleverly worded releases and press office strategies that push out nothing but gifts and feature angles. Many clients are calling bullshit on the practice. Modern PR agencies are now at the forefront of social content, paid targeting, influencer collaborations, culture and creative ideas that people are going to care about.
“I’ve always thought that to be a great PR (at least within the consumer lifestyle space) you need to be a jack of all trades (strategist, creative, suit, producer and digital expert all rolled into one), but more importantly you need the right personality and that’s not something that can be learnt at university. I value hard-working, curious, smart people with emotional intelligence, intuition and a grasp on modern culture, more than those with a PR degree and no practical experience. In fact, give me anyone that’s done three years at a forward-thinking agency over three years at uni doing a PR degree.
“My only exception is an experience I had working with someone from Hyper Island (which originated in Stockholm) where they train people in practical, digitally focused, skills-based problem-solving. They’re awesome. That’s where I’d send my kids (if they weren’t still at kindy and obsessed with being monster hunters or unicorn trainers).
“So to be clear, there’s nothing harmful about doing a PR degree, I just think those three years could be better used. And if you’re going to do one, simply because you need a leg up on the ladder (which is often the sad reality), then go niche and find one that’s known for its practically led, digital experience or human psychology courses.”
- As told to Abigail Dawson. If you’re a senior PR professional who would like to take part in a future Head to Head, please email abigail@mumbrella.com.au
I am currently a 3rd year university student completing my PR degree and couldn’t agree more with Rob’s argument that the media landscape is continually changing and that the best PR experience you can have is on the job. I started working at a PR agency 6 months into my degree and it was the best decision in preparing for my future career.
At university, I’ve been spending thousands of dollars on being taught how to be digitally literate by someone that hasn’t worked in the media for over 20 years. I learnt more about PR in 3 months at an agency, over my entire first year of my degree. While I do believe that higher education is necessary for some people, PR students need to be forward thinkers and constantly adapting to change and culture. Agency life has taught me that better than anything else and if there wasn’t so much pressure on having that piece of paper to justify that you can do something, I’d be out of uni tomorrow and building my campaign portfolio.
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Learning how to learn is one of higher education’s key roles. Jenny’s views are my own. I don’t think anyone would argue that a workplace is where the skills are consolidated, and where the hard-yakka of a job plays out. I also wouldn’t argue that a Degree in any area of communications is mandatory. However, thinking strategically and critically are skills more readily learned in an academic setting, and where curiosity and enquiry is more likely to be fostered and encouraged. I did a BA at Sydney Uni back in the late 80’s without an inkling that I’d end up in PR/Comms. London School of Public Relations was an eye-opener and a Journalist’s Certificate at NYU was a brilliant way to understand the other side learning from the top guns. Dipping into, and engaging with the learning process should be a life-long commitment so that refreshed thinking can be applied on the job. I’ll take Rob’s side in the sense that a PR Degree may fall short in the relevance stakes and be too broad to have any real value, but if we want to nurture PR professionals who have the ability to think creatively and strategically, a couple of years of campus time gets the thumbs up from me.
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Emilie we’d love to hear from you if you’re looking for more work experience or a placement post-graduation! info@filteredmedia.com.au
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Hi Emilie,
Many agencies have realistic and practical intern-graduate employment programs across Australia that offer a part-time employment scenario while you are completing your degree.
Work experience is an integral part of your learning and development so that you can transition into your chosen PR role more seamlessly.
We look forward to seeing you in the PR industry.
Jenny
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As Australia’s only PR industry accredited vocational training organisation, we feel compelled to comment. At HSPR we strongly support the role universities play in developing critical thinking skills, embracing a global perspective, working collaboratively and developing a greater understanding of the communications industry. A university qualification is most definitely considered a benefit on any applicant’s CV.
That said, the learning that can only be gained from real-life, real-time practical experience is perhaps a candidate’s greatest asset. In fact, HSPR programs are designed to deliver exactly the skills and tools that simply can’t be covered in the classroom. With all due respect to university educators, there are certain skills one can only learn ‘on the job’. This is not PR-specific and is true across all occupations – professional and vocational.
In an ideal scenario, we’d see critical PR vocational skills embedded in all relevant university programs; explained by current experts in their field; played out in real-world examples; and expert guidance on applying what’s been learned to a real-life, real-time response to brief.
In our industry, the learning never stops. We rely on dedicated PD programs to help practitioners maintain currency, acquire new skills and apply their learning in the dynamic day to day of PR practice. It’s a constant state for anyone working in the communications industry. And it applies equally to both new and experienced practitioners as well as to educators and their students.
Rather than the constant job readiness ‘skirmish’ between industry and educators, can’t we just work together to deliver the ultimate combination of higher education and practical skills?
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It’s very easy to start spouting clichés in the argument uni v practical experience. Education (whether it be primary, secondary or tertiary, is an easy and age-old knocking post). I remember crusty old journos hating the idea of young upstarts doing degrees when you could always learn on the job. Nurses? Why do they need degrees? Surely this is a bit of a tired old chestnut, Rob? The answer is a lot more nuanced. Rob admits that most agencies are ‘struggling to keep up’ with the pace of change in the PR/media/communications/marketing. Certainly from recent interviews conducted with senior communications consultants/professionals in Perth in Singapore (as part of a research project with a university colleague) we have found that many are finding it tough to keep up – but doing it, just the same. Unis are no different – we have to evolve to stay relevant! Social media is really only just over 10 years old – no one is a true expert, yet, but, yes, some are more expert than others. University educators and courses are constantly having to adapt and change, which is why many have a strong work-integrated learning component. We also rely on industry advisory panels and our educators and researchers upskilling. My own University, Murdoch in Perth, has just launched a newly named major, after significant consultation with industry, combining our Public Relations and Web Communication degrees into a Strategic Communication Major. Higher education has a role to play – so does the individual and so does industry. Having just finished a PhD on social media influencers and their relationships with PR and marketing practitioners, I continue to find it fascinating the way the media space is evolving. Let’s keep the conversation going, without resorting to clichés.
See
http://media.murdoch.edu.au/se.....must-adapt
As chairperson of the Institute’s Education Community Committee (ECC) and coordinator of a PR degree, I feel compelled to add to the discussion above. I am rather dismayed that the original focus in the opinion piece has been taken away from public relations as a multi-faceted profession to the rather narrow focus of media relations. Public relations has always been about so much more than “cleverly worded releases and press office strategies”. And this is exactly what we teach our students! No doubt, aptitude, attitude, academic abilities and levels of creativity vary between individuals, but they graduate with a solid understanding that there is much more to public relations than “cleverly worded releases and press office strategies”. Tools come and go. They evolve. But they are just that: tools! The basics haven’t changed that much. Public relations is about engagement, it’s about listening, about collaboration, strategy, critical thinking – AND creativity. These are the tools we teach our students as part of our PR program. Our aim is much bigger than ensuring graduates can ‘hit the ground running’ and fill a current ‘skills gap’. Our focus is on equipping future leaders with critical thinking and lifelong learning skills that will enable them to move well beyond that first job. (Please note that I do recognise that employers perform a crucial role in that process in terms of providing opportunities to grow, appropriate professional development and mentoring).
The ECC has just undertaken a thorough review of the PRIA accreditation criteria and process. In addition to alignment with the Institute’s professional framework, one of the core elements of the accreditation has always been an emphasis on work integrated learning. Most public relations academics have a solid background in practice. In addition, we draw on the expertise of industry experts – in the form of advisory panels and as guest speakers. At Curtin, every single unit is either structured around a real-life client or campaign, or draws heavily on real life case studies, guest speakers and interviews with industry experts (in most cases it is a combination of all those). Students pitch their ideas to their real life clients – many of which are adopted. They also gain valuable, critical, real time feedback on their work. Motivated students chose to put their skills into practice by getting involved in our PR student chapter, the PRSC, which runs a number of events ranging from seminars and debates, to fundraisers and the high profile PR in Fashion event, a collaboration with Curtin’s design students. Furthermore, all our students are required to complete an industry placement prior to graduation, in which they reflect on their learning and compare & contrast insights gained during their degree to their internship experience. However, from experience I know that especially our best and brightest have gained a wealth of experience by the time they graduate – on campus, as well as through additional volunteering, internship and work opportunities in their own time. Obviously, these are Curtin specific examples. However, I know that my colleagues at other universities run equally practice orientated programs.
It’s time that we challenge the outdated perception of what a public relations degree entails – and how it is delivered. Higher education in isolation isn’t going to train future PR executives, managers or directors. However, together with industry we can take our profession forward, well beyond the narrow understanding of PR as media relations.
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We’re looking to fill a fulltime junior role at Poem and are open to interviewing anyone that thinks they have the right life skills and character, whether they have a degree or not. If you’re interested and have something unique to offer, please email hello@poemgroup.com.au.
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Yes it does! If I had to choose the most beneficial learning/growing component of my communication career, it would most definitely be my university degree. And I chose to do that after 15 years of solid, practical experience working with some pretty brilliant, creative people. Dismissing education is a great display of ignorance. Especially if you are not educated — ie. you don’t know what you’re missing.
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Higher education can be a great booster for PR because you get to interact with various professionally experienced faculty members and have a legit way of gaining structured learning from them. I completely agree with Rob on this so thank you for sharing this information.
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