Addressing the PR skills shortage

In an attempt to address the shortage of public relations and communication management skills in South Africa, PRISA's involvement with the Services SETA is not only to lift the professionalism of the industry, but also to encourage learners to enter the profession.

In co-operation with the Business Services Chamber of the Services SETA, the SETA under which public relations and communication management falls, PRISA is working on strategies to enable members to utilise the levies that companies contribute monthly in order to expand their employees' skills base.

"Companies registered with the Services SETA may apply to their particular SETA for reimbursement of up to 65% of their levy contribution by simply making a concerted effort to enhance their employees' skills development and by submitting a Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and an Annual Training Report (ATR)," says Leanne Charles, chamber coordinator of the Business Chamber, Services SETA. "Unfortunately, there are so many companies who don't fully understand how the Services SETA works and how they can actually benefit from active involvement."

The majority of Services SETA stakeholders are SMEs with fewer than 50 employees and, in most instances, public relations and communication consultancies also follow the same pattern. "However, how many of them have time for training?" asks Margaret Moscardi, executive director of PRISA. "Unfortunately, due to the pressures of work they are reluctant to make time to uplift the industry. Yet, the SETAs are there for assistance."

And, according to Charles, the structures are already in place, not only from a training point of view, but financially as well, for example, to take on a learner for a year. A company that is registered with the Services SETA can claim a grant towards a wage subsidy (if the learner is unemployed) and the Services SETA will pay for the training of the learner. A learnership is a structured programme of necessary training and essential practice designed to take place over a year. Some industries already have unit standards and learnerships. Others, like the public relations and communication management profession, are still developing them and are very close to completion.

"There are a number of learning opportunities out there that can be used and there is no excuse any more," concludes Moscardi. "As public relations and communication management professionals, we have a duty to pass on our skills to the next generation."