As we write this, the future of the Canadian public relations industry is in jeopardy. While the statement is dramatic, it underscores the unfortunate reality we face today. Over the past few weeks, several post-secondary institutions have announced the shuttering of campuses or the suspension of programs, following the Canadian federal government’s lowered cap on international student visas.
The suspension of PR programs is problematic. We are living in a time that is increasingly rife with misinformation and complexities around geopolitics, technology, society and public trust in traditional business and government institutions. We are also living in a time of economic upheaval. Canadian brands need communicators to tell their stories and build relationships now more important than ever. This requires a steady pipeline of promising students and an influx of future leaders who will steer our industry through choppy waters in the years to come. With this in mind, we look to our colleges and universities as custodians and incubators of that talent.
Shuttering Campuses
These custodians, however, are facing their own challenges. Many of these schools and programs, as is the case across many universities, benefited from the higher tuition paid by international students; without this financial support, they have been forced to suspend a variety of programs, including several focused on public relations and corporate communications. Of course, this is a simplistic explanation. There are other factors at play: Public relations programs no longer qualifying for international work permits as the federal government focuses on STEM, agriculture and other sectors. So, international students who want to study PR/communications don’t have a career pathway in Canada.
Furthermore, domestic enrollment has also decreased in recent years. Fewer Canadians are seeing a path forward in PR, even as our industry continues to grow. And even when local students apply, they are, in some cases, a financial strain on the schools. In Ontario, the government has frozen domestic tuition fees for the past several years, with provincial funding for colleges at an historic low. The net result is that colleges are losing money on domestic tuition.
Sadly, the issues faced by our industry do not all revolve around program closings. Students who graduate existing programs and look to transition to the workforce are finding it increasingly difficult to find meaningful jobs. The lack of jobs throughout the country has meant former journalists and graduates from other BA programs are applying for roles in agencies that have traditionally gone to PR graduates. While it’s not our place to say who should be hired, we believe there is a misconception that if you can write well, you can practice public relations. Therefore, a specialized program is unnecessary. Quite the opposite is true. In fact, according to Edward Bernays, the “father of modern public relations,” PR is rooted in the application of social science research and behavioural psychology to formulate campaigns and messages that aim to change people’s perceptions and/or encourage certain behaviors.
This social science needs to be taught, along with the new technologies, strategies, issues, data analytics and advancements that are impacting our industry: now and in the future. In Canada, we are fortunate we have several incredible post-secondary public relations programs, led by experienced and skilled professors, academics and in-field practitioners. Graduates from these courses are immersed in the various functions of corporate communications and public relations over several semesters, and are ready to hit the ground running in their first jobs from day one. Far from being all academic, these programs offer valuable hands-on experiential learning that transfers seamlessly from classroom to office.
As these programs are suspended, we are losing the next generation of skilled public relations professionals and leaders.
Furthermore, for all the talk about diversifying our employee base, many industry employers still want a ‘Canadian experience only’ hire who understands our country and the media landscape (which is already taught in many of the public relations programs). These employers do not recognize the benefits and opportunities of bringing on an international hire. Many international students come here with experience in their home country and are fully employable upon graduation – and many of them have expertise and a unique perspective that may set them apart from those with a Canada-only lens.
The future of our industry requires a 360-degree solution. It requires leaders supporting and mentoring new practitioners. It requires governments recognizing the need to enrich classrooms with international students. It requires our industry associations to develop a pipeline at the high school level. It requires the college programs to innovate and stay relevant to industry needs and the pace of change.
And it needs all of us to understand that public relations is a specialized discipline that must be taught before it is mastered.
We urge all the stakeholders to come together to create a path towards reinstating our programs, filling our classrooms and providing meaningful opportunities to students graduating from our programs.
CPRS Toronto has already begun reaching out to public relations professors to ask for their ideas. Here are some they have asked us to share with PR professionals:
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Mentor a student or a new graduate
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Supervise a student for their field placement/coop requirement, vital for them to gain practical experience and put their classroom lessons to work, guided by a seasoned professional.
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Make a college certificate/diploma in PR a requirement on your next job posting.
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Be part of the future. Need something from college graduates you’re not getting, let the professors know! Want to know what is on the curriculum? Reach out!
- Call or write your MPP to help our provincial government understand the downstream effects of chronic underfunding, and/or call or write your MP to help our federal government recognize the industry’s need in Canada for skilled communications professionals and to provide a pathway for international students to meet this need through work permits.
CPRS Toronto will continue working with other societies, associations and industry leaders to identify and implement strategies that can reverse the strain on our profession. Solutions. The future of public relations in our country depends on it.
Signatories
Andrea Chrysanthou, APR, President, Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) Toronto Chapter
Anne Marie Males, MCM, APR, Program Coordinator, Bachelor of Public Relations, Humber Polytechnic
Donna Lindell, BJ, MPR, Program Coordinator, Public Relations and Corporate Communications, Centennial College
Elizabeth Clark-Luzza, Program Coordinator & Instructor, Public Relations and Corporate Communications, Sheridan College
Matisse Hamel-Nelis, Professor and Program Co-ordinator, Public Relations Graduate Certificate, Durham College