TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - To view the Enriched Media Release, click here: http://smr.newswire.ca/en/canadian-public-relations-society/cprsnational-creates-educational-guidelines-for-pr
NEWS RELEASE FACTS
- The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) has launched a comprehensive program that will formally recognize public relations education programs in Canada.
- Pathways to the Profession: An Outcomes Based Approach Towards Excellence in Canadian Public Relations and Communications Management Education was developed by the National Council on Education over the past three years with the academic and professional PR communities across Canada.
- The document outlines recommendations for curriculum and program design in five pathways to the profession: technical, career, management, leadership and scholar.
- There has been an increase in the number of public relations programs in Canada in recent years due to low unemployment rates and the fact that many practitioners are close to retirement.
- This program will also offer academic institutions a way to assess their own programs and to provide context for ongoing and future curriculum development.
- Pathways to the Profession outlines performance measures, course content and a course framework that academic institutions can follow.
- Pathways to the Profession includes a Public Relations Knowledge (PRK) exam which allows recent graduates to show potential employers that they are prepared for entry-level positions within the PR and CM industry.
QUOTES
- "Pathways to the Profession offers an educational standard for PR programs which Canadian
post-secondary institutions can follow. For years we've heard about the
importance of having a standard approach to educating up-and-coming
public relations professionals. It's a great feeling to finally have a
document in place to help facilitate this."- Colleen Killingsworth MCM, APR, FCPRS, Presiding Officer, National
Council on Education
- "This is an incredibly important step for public relations education in
Canada. We recognize that this commitment to academic standards within
the profession of public relations and communications management will
not only benefit students and employers, but also the profession as a
whole." - Amy Thurlow APR, PhD, Chair, Department of Communication Studies, Mount
Saint Vincent University
- "The Board is incredibly grateful for the hard work and support given by the National Council on Education volunteers. Public relations practitioners from across the country and academics from some of the best public relations and communications management programs in Canadahave all contributed countless hours over the past three years to develop this program. It is CPRS' hope that Pathways to the Profession will act as the first step towards a more comprehensive method of educating future public relations professionals for many years to come." Pierrette Leonard APR, FCPRS, National President, CPRS.
ABOUT CPRS
Founded in 1948, the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) is a not-for-profit organization whose members are engaged in the practice, management or teaching of public relations. Members work to maintain the highest standards and to share a uniquely Canadian experience in public relations. CPRS is a federation of over 1,800 members across 16 Member Societies based in major cities or organized province-wide. Follow CPRS National on Twitter @CPRSNational. View CPRS National's Facebook fan page.
SOURCE Canadian Public Relations Society
Image with caption: "Pathways to the Profession is presented at the CPRS Canadian Public Relations Conference June 5, 2011. Both PR practitioners and PR educators take part in the Pathways session. (CNW Group/Canadian Public Relations Society)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20110915_C3897_PHOTO_EN_3351.jpg
Image with caption: "A conference delegate reviews the Pathways to the Profession document. (CNW Group/Canadian Public Relations Society)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20110915_C3897_PHOTO_EN_3352.jpg
