Judi Hausmann to launch Hausmann School of Public Relations
The head of PR agency Hausmann Communications, Judi Hausmann is to launch her own online public relations training program in a move aimed at both new entrants to the job market and also those looking to move
She says the Hausmann School of Public Relations is being created to help address the “national public relations skills shortage” and also a widening gap between PR theory and the realities of modern public relations practice.
“Like many in the industry, the Hausmann Group has experienced the disconnect between how public relations is traditionally taught and the practical skills today’s workplace requires,” said Hausmann, “rapidly changing vocational skills and a growing demand for quality service means that we need to rethink traditional training.”
“(The school) will provide an alternative pathway in to the industry that will appeal to more people with different skills and life experiences. We need workforce diversity in skills, backgrounds and life experiences to keep pace with the demand.”
Congrats Judi! Thrilled for the team! 🙂
Congratulations,fantastic concept!
Well done Hausmann. We at Palin Communications share your commitment to skills-focused training in PR. Earlier this year we set up an online certificate course specifically focusing on our specialty – healthcare PR. http://www.chpr.com.au.
Congratulations Judi! A wonderful initiative!
“We are also targeting those from outside the industry, journalism, advertising etc there are plenty of people who are wanting to make a move from industries that are shrinking into an industry that is growing.”
Word up JH: your industry won’t be growing for long while ever the media is shrinking. You might have a few more good years left but it won’t be long until the PR industry is laying off staff just like the media companies are.
‘disconect’ is putting it mildly. Having worked in the UK & USA I’ve been appalled at the ignorance and arrogance of Australian PR companies. Hausmann can only do good.
After 15 years as a magazine journalist – and generally exasperated by the low standard of PR in Australia – I decided to join the dark PR side about 18 months ago after the magazine industry basically died in the butt. I did a PR uni course and, although enjoyable, it hardly opened up any new opportunities (unless I was prepared to start at the bottom and for nominal salary.) I’m also male in an industry that seems to just want pretty little things who’ll work for nix. So this idea you’ll find career nirvana in PR, I can assure you is very far from the truth. Which is a shame, because as other people have noted, the standard in Australia is often poor indeed.
HSPR sounds like a great development for learning and embedding vocationally focused skills in new practitioners and grads, but I still think the skills issue is based in the need for industry accreditation. Currently the PR industry is unregulated, and those that enter the profession have wildly varying experience and qualifications. Wouldn’t it be great if Comms Council or PRIA engineered some sort of industry standard in training and continued development (HSPR could even be part of this) to elevate the broader standard of the profession? I understand CPRA in the UK did this successfully – Potential for this to happen in AU?
Interested to see HSPR develop. Any plans to develop strategic partnerships with other agencies or professionals across industries to offer insights and education beyond Hausmann’s strengths in consumer? Public affairs, healthcare, corporate etc?
Nice one! I’ll always support anyone who is working to lift the standards, knowledge and general understanding within this misunderstood industry. This is a step in the right direction. The right content in the course will be several steps in the right direction. Where that’ll head is of course about the type of content that’s being delivered in these courses.
I don’t care so much about the definition or accreditation of PR, but more about the purpose and value proposition. I’m hoping the curriculum will be less about press releases and more about the science of communication – with healthy dollops of behavioral science, social science, psychology, and art thrown in.
Congratulations on the launch Judi! No doubt they will be queuing at your virtual door!
Very humbled to see the level of support for HSPR – thank you.
Given the comments, I thought it worth highlighting that we have established the HSPR Advisory Committee. The Committee includes representatives from corporate comms, the not for profit sector, academia as well as consumer markering in both in-house and agency roles. This is to ensure that HSPR reflects a diverse PR perspective through our course content, guest speakers, mentorship and internship programs. Please feel free to contact me directly through our website at http://hspr.com.au if you’d like to know more.