PRCA and PRWeek launch PR Internships and Apprenticeships Awards

The PRCA and PRWeek have relaunched the PR Internships Awards, and this year, the awards have expanded to include Apprenticeships.

This year, the awards are sponsored by Signal. Signal is an A.I.-powered business intelligence company that aggregates, analyses and makes sense of the world’s information – including news, social media, and regulatory data – transforming them into usable knowledge for business leaders. Signal A.I. has over 350 clients including Amnesty International, British Airways, Twitter, EY, BNP Paribas, Allen & Overy, and Deloitte.

In an effort to reinforce our commitment to diversity and inclusion, the inclusion of apprenticeships is essential, and it forms part of our greater commitment to raise the profile of PR apprenticeships across the PR and communications industry. We have introduced new categories this year:

Best Apprentice and Best Apprenticeships Employer.

The PRCA is the sole apprenticeship provider of the Level 4 Diploma. The PR Apprenticeship was set up in 2012, and offers individuals the chance to gain industry knowledge, personal development, and personal, transferable skills.

Francis Ingham MPRCA, PRCA Director General, said: “We originally launched the PR Internships Awards in 2015 to celebrate young people from diverse backgrounds in the industry. The awards have grown every year and the quality of candidates continues to be impressive. Therefore, including apprenticeships to the awards was a logical step. 

“We are extremely proud of our apprenticeship program – the PRCA is the only provider of the PR and Communications Apprenticeship. We have helped exceptional candidates enter the PR and communications industry, and now many of these apprentices form a valuable part of their organisations.

“I encourage all interns, apprentices, and employers to enter these awards – let’s make diversity and inclusion a priority for the industry.”

David Benigson, CEO and Co-Founder, Signal said: “Diversity breeds creativity and innovation. Signal is founded on that principle and we couldn’t be prouder to support this initiative. A mix of socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds is by far the best way to ensure that our industry is at the forefront of change. Internships and Apprenticeships help encourage those exploring PR and communications as a career choice and ensures our industry is evolving alongside them. The Future of PR relies of the quality of the talent we attract today. Signal is proud to be a part creating that future.”

The deadline for entries is on Wednesday, 29th May and the shortlist will be announced on Thursday, 6th June. Those shortlisted will be interview by the judging panel in June and the winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on Thursday, 11th July.

How to enter
Entries must be sent to Internshipsawards@prca.org.uk by 17:00 by Wednesday, 29th May. There is a charge of £85+VAT per entry for all entrants, and this can be organised over email.

Best Intern
To enter an intern for this category, the intern must complete an outline of their internship which should be no more than 600 words in length. The intern’s line manager is also required to complete a 300-word endorsement. Entries are open to anyone who interned between 1st May 2018 to 30th April 2019, and they do not need to currently be an intern. Entries will be judged based on the following criteria:

  • – Enthusiasm and dedication
  • – Innovative and creative approach to their role
  • – Contribution to team morale and ethos
  • – Ownership of projects
  • – Remember: all interns must be paid the Living Wage or London Living Wage in order to be entered for this award.

Best Apprentice
To enter an apprentice for this category, the apprentice must outline their apprenticeship (including their day to day job and coursework). This should be no more than 600 words in length. The apprentice’s line manager or assessor is also required to complete a 300-word endorsement. Entries are open to anyone who is/was an apprentice between 1st May 2018 to 30th April 2019, they do not need to currently be an apprentice.  Entries will be judged based on the following criteria:

  • – Enthusiasm and dedication
  • – Innovative and creative approach to their role
  • – Contribution to team morale and ethos
  • – Ownership of projects (at work and their coursework)
  • – Must stay within 20% of target progress throughout their programme and provide evidence of this
  • – Remember: all apprentices must be paid the national minimum wage for their age in order to be entered for this award.

Best Internship Programme
Both PR agencies and in-house team may enter by providing an outline of their internship programme, which should be no more than 600 words in length. This will be judged based on the following criteria:

  • – Programme planning and structure
  • – Support the activities the interns have engaged in
  • – Commitment to diversity and inclusion
  • – Retention and evaluation
  • – Remember: all internships must pay the Living Wage or London Living Wage in order to be entered for this award.

The entry may be accompanied by a testimonial from current or past interns, which should be no longer than 300 words.

Best Apprenticeship Employer
Both PR agencies and in-house team may enter by providing an outline of their apprenticeship programme, which should be no more than 600 words in length. This will be judged based on the following criteria:

  • – Integrated programme planning and structure (which includes additional off the job training for apprentices)
  • – Support the activities the apprentices have engaged in
  • – Commitment to diversity and inclusion
  • – Retention and evaluation
  • – Remember: employers must pay their apprentices the national minimum wage for their age in order to be entered for this award.

The entry may be accompanied by a testimonial from current/past apprentices and mentor(s) which should be no longer than 300 words.

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