The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) announced a School Outreach Programme at its 50th anniversary celebrations.
Developed by the PRCA’s Diversity Network, led by Co-chairs Pema Seely CMPRCA and Rax Lakhani CMPRCA, the School Outreach Programme will provide practitioners with the assets and resources they need to visit schools, introduce students to PR, and drive awareness of PR as a career option.
The initiative also comes with a rallying cry from the PRCA to its corporate members, with an announcement that the association will name and praise all those who pledge to take part.
Pema Seely CMPRCA, Co-Chair, PRCA Diversity Network, said: “Our key purpose here is to educate young minds from all backgrounds about PR and communications as a career path, so it’s considered early on. The Schools Outreach Programme is focussed on educating children and their parents or guardians in order to futureproof the talent pipeline, and ensure that the industry is more accessible than ever.”
Speaking at the 50th party, Francis Ingham MPRCA, Director General, PRCA, said: “The latest diversity figures in our census reveal that only one in ten practitioners are from ethnic minority backgrounds, or from families that received income support when they were children. And that only 4% of those surveyed considered themselves to have a disability. The status quo is inexcusable. Our industry will not reach its potential until we broaden our talent pool.
“The School Outreach Programme will include an educational toolkit, designed to encourage schoolchildren to think about a career in PR, as well as a video featuring interviews with a diverse range of PR professionals talking about what PR can offer.
“We won’t stop there though. We want to encourage as many of our members as possible to go in and speak to school students about public relations, so we’ll be asking each corporate member to commit to going to one school a year, and naming and praising those that do.
“We’ll be sending the toolkit to members to ensure that they have everything they need to inspire the next generation of PR professionals.”
Email diversity@prca.org.uk to express your interest in the PRCA Schools Outreach Programme.
