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PR Week: Apprentices can be PR's secret weapon in talent war #NAW2022

While university can be the best pathway for some individuals, it is crucial to appreciate that some school-leavers can thrive and flourish in work-based learning environments, which in turn can have tremendous benefits for PR organisations.

With social media growing at an exponential rate and being instrumental in the growth of digital businesses, apprentices, with their greater understanding and appreciation of social media, can provide great insight and knowledge in this area. This, in turn, can help elevate a client’s social presence, market position and brand name.

With the PR sector currently facing a skills shortage, it has never been more important to look at alternative routes to build the future of the industry and bridge the gap.

Leaving school in March 2020 was, not surprisingly, an uncertain and nerve-wracking experience for many, me included, due to the rapid rise of the pandemic.

Although apprenticeships are growing in popularity, there still seems to be a prehistoric stigma that university talent is greatly valued over people who have entered the industry through an apprenticeship. This is evidenced in a large majority of industry organisations requiring prospective candidates to hold a degree.

Employers should recognise, encourage and champion fresh young talent and appreciate that apprenticeship schemes aren’t designed for less intellectual people, but more for individuals who thrive on work-based learning.

It can be discouraging for apprentices to see “degree required” on a job post and it can disregard their value and their industry-specific qualification. Degrees don’t determine career success. It is important to diversify the workforce and start building the industry’s future leaders and inspire young individuals who want to go straight into work by promoting apprenticeships as a credible and equally valuable option.

The benefits of work experience are undeniable, and it is vital in PR that this is championed and encouraged as a way to develop a career in the industry. A degree doesn’t define future success or the ability of an individual. It is therefore imperative to provide alternative options to school-leavers looking to enter PR.

When building talent within their team, businesses should use the fact that everyone excels through different learning methods to their advantage. Some of the comms industry’s brightest talents avoided the traditional university route and instead had entrepreneurial spirit and used their drive, passion and knowledge to benefit their organisation, and help forge a bright career.

In addition to offering a solution to the talent crisis, apprentices can help diversify a workforce, which is imperative in keeping strength within a team. A varied team is more productive, can help improve creativity and expands the skill set of an organisation. This ultimately adds value to its PR offering to clients.

A diversified workforce can have profound benefits including employee retention, which can ultimately help to prevent the high labour turnover that has been causing the industry such great difficulty.