PRCA and PRWeek launch PR Internships and Apprenticeships Awards 2020

The PRCA and PRWeek have launched the annual PR Internships and Apprenticeships Awards to promote social mobility in the communications industry.

The awards recognise the best internship and apprenticeship programmes and showcase the exceptional young talent in the industry. Quality apprenticeship and internship programmes are vital to the industry’s development and they help the industry attract and retain the brightest talent from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

The PRCA is the industry’s sole apprenticeship provider of the Level 4 Diploma, which offers individuals the chance to gain industry knowledge, personal development, and personal, transferable skills.

The PRCA is also committed to making sure that every intern gets a paid, meaningful internship, which is accessible to all through its internship programme. The PRCA is a living wage employer and recommends all interns in the industry are paid the Living Wage (or London Living Wage). We will not accept entries from organisations and interns that are paid less than that.

Francis Ingham MPRCA, PRCA Director General, said:

“These awards celebrate the remarkable young talent in this industry. They also recognise the leading organisations that are providing the best internship and apprenticeship programmes across the UK.

“We are extremely proud of our apprenticeship programme –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 core part of their organisations.

“We are also proud of all the campaigning we have done in ensuring that interns are paid fairly for their valuable work.

“Our campaigning efforts have paid off and I am glad to see that industry is committed to improving diversity and inclusion by providing young people with quality apprenticeships and internships.

“Of course, there is a lot more we can and will continue to do to attract the best talent. That is why diversity and inclusion is always high on the PRCA’s agenda. I encourage all interns, apprentices, and employers to enter these awards.”

The deadline for entries is on Friday, 5th June and the shortlist will be announced shortly after. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London in mid-July. We are monitoring Government restrictions closely and if we are unable to host an awards ceremony in July, we will host a virtual ceremony to announce the winners.

How to enter
Entries must be sent to Internshipsawards@prca.org.uk by 17:00 on Friday, 5th June. 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 2019 to 30th April 2020, 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 2019 to 30th April 2020, 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.

To find out more information, please click here or email Neha.Khatwani@prca.org.uk.

Related posts

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.