The Importance of Continuous Professional Development by Daniel Paul (FPRINZ)
CPD needed to boost professionalism of PR profession
Ask ChatGPT which professional services sectors require practitioners to complete continuing professional development and the list is quite long. Ask it about the benefits of CPD and the list is longer still.
So, shouldn’t we, who call ourselves ‘professionals’, not embrace CPD to help enhance said professionalism? Shouldn’t we introduce a mandatory CPD programme for practising professionals, just as many other service sectors do?
Wouldn’t doing so ensure our individual skillsets remain relevant as times change, and that we can continue to grow and adapt those skillsets in an ever-changing operating environment?
And wouldn’t it send a clear signal to employers and clients, and new entrants, that we, as a sector, take our professionalism seriously?
I have sat on APR viva voce exam panels for many years and I’m always impressed by the enthusiasm of the young practitioners we meet.
They’ve studied hard for the last six months, they’ve learned lots (they all say that) and they’re keen to test their skills, either new-found, or better-honed.
But then what?
Five, 10 years go by (in my case nearly 40) and what is there in our profession to ensure those early skills remain current?
What evidence can we present to employers, or clients, to reinforce the fact that public relations as a practice does have a specific and definitive ‘body of knowledge’ with specialised skillsets, and that being well versed in ‘the science’ of communications requires professional training that keeps pace with changing trends?
Perhaps if we did that – if there was a mandated and widely-accepted CPD programme, the breadth and depth of which was fully appreciated and valued – we could finally shed the ‘spin doctor’ tag.
And maybe we could take our rightful place at the top table. Not just the C Suite table, but around Board tables where an organisation’s public reputation, its social license to operate and its attitude to stakeholder engagement and risk management sit high on the governance agenda.
I think professional CPD for PR and comms professionals must happen. We live, increasingly, in an age of disinformation and misinformation, with, on the one hand, low – and dropping – levels of trust in public institutions and the media, and, on the other, a heightened need for organisations across the board to actively manage their reputation and to engage meaningfully, using strategies, channels, messaging and activities, that resonate with their audiences.
You could argue that our expertise and our skillsets have never been more in demand. Equally, you could argue that the perceived – and real – professionalism of our profession has never been more important. And maybe under threat.
