The Death of the Printed Prospectus?

We're currently planning a lunchtime debate to be held at Manchester Metropolitan University on 22nd May on the subject of "The Death of the Printed Prospectus". As this is so topical amongst our colleagues in HE and FE at the moment, we thought it would be a fun and informative event to organise. We have a panel of excellent speakers lined up, and lunch will be provided afterwards so the debate can continue! If you'd like to attend please email janeshaw@talktalk.net

Tracy Playle
Events Officer - CIPR Education and Skills Sector Group

New Media Training Day - Your Ideas

We're interested to hear what ideas you had following our New Media Training day - or ideas from those unable to attend. Are you all going to rush off and start frantically producing podcasts, or are you too about to start blogging. I have no doubt that many of you have been on facebook or My Space since the event too!

Leave your comments on this blog to share your ideas with others, or perhaps give us some feedback on this event and other events that you'd like to see in future.

New Media Training Day - 7th March 2007

Yesterday we hosted our first ever "training" day. It was an interesting experiment for the Group - and I think a successful one. The numbers attending were too large to allow for practical hands-on training, but the speakers tended to give some very practical advice.

In particular, our "Get Creative" session seemed to go down well, with many attendees seeing this as a good way to break the ice with fellow delegates and start sharing their own ideas. It was also a good way to turn the conference venue into chaos, creating a more relaxed environment for the rest of the day.

Our keynote speech from CIPR President, Lionel Zetter, touched at the heart of our day - the importance of training and skills for PR professionals, and the development CIPR's new social media guidelines, which I recommend our members read. Personally, I value the CIPR's code of conduct and these new guidelines for PR professionals and I think it's important that all practitioners - in-house and agency - be aware of them and help to shape them.

New Media Training Day

Following our successful New Media conference in October 2006, we are following up with a New Media Training day. The event will be held at Woburn House, London on 6th March.

The event will feature a keynote speech from Lionel Zetter, President of the CIPR, and presentations and practical hints and tips from experts across the spectrum of new media: online video, blogging and podcasting. The day will also feature a "Get Creative" session to get your creative juices flowing!

For further information and to sign up visit the CIPR Education and Skills Group's events page.

CIPR Education & Skills Sector Group: new chair and committee announced for 2006/2007

Emma Leech, head of marketing and communications at Manchester Metropolitan University, has been appointed chair of the CIPR’s Education & Skills Sector Group:

After thanking Ian Rowley, director of communications at the University of Warwick, for his significant contribution as chair since the group’s formation in 2003, treasurer, Justin Shaw, director of Education Practice at Communications Management, welcomed Emma, saying:

“Having served on the committee for the past three years, Emma is well placed to take over the role of chair.

“Emma has spent over 18 years in marketing and communications roles, the past eight of which have been in senior marketing roles at various universities. During that time, she has won more than 30 national and industry awards for her campaigns. This wealth of knowledge, coupled with her first-hand experience of the successful use of new media, will help shape some of the group’s events and activities over the next 12 months.”

Welcoming both new and existing committee members to an away day at the beginning of November Emma said:

“Ian will be a hard act to follow, but I look forward to working with you all to ensure that the Education & Skills group fully represents the needs of the sector.”

New to the committee are Alison Steel, director of external relations at the University of Sunderland, who takes on the role of secretary; Sue Ashe, head of corporate communications at the Learning and Skills Council; Lorna Branton, head of external communications at Sheffield Hallam University; Justin Cole from the communications directorate at the Department for Education and Skills; Gail Goodwin, media and communications manager at the National Foundation for Educational Research and Fiona MacLeod, deputy director of external relations at Universites UK.

Reappointed committee members include Tracey Playle, head of research TV at the University of Warwick, who will take on the role of events officer; Louise Jaggs, managing director of PR consultancy, TextOnTap, who has been appointed publicity officer; Peter Aylmer, publicity manager at the General Teaching Council for England, and Ian Rowley, the group’s outgoing chair, who have both agreed to remain on the committee for a further term.

Jane Shaw continues as administrator of the group.

Covering the Education Sector – Life in the Frontline

The CIPR Education and Skills Sectoral Group is holding a networking featuring two of the country’s most respected education journalists – Mike Baker of the BBC and Donald MacLeod of the Guardian. Mike and Donald will give an insight into the working of the newsroom and how they handle stories about education. This will be a unique glimpse into both print and broadcast media, helping you to think about how you pitch and present your stories to achieve the coverage you want. There will be an opportunity to ask questions of Mike and Donald (both former winners of the CIPR’s Ted Wragg Award for Sustained Contribution to Education Journalism), and to meet with other colleagues from the education and skills sector over a buffet lunch.

The event will take place on Wednesday 13th December, 11.30 – 2.00pm, at St James’s Room, CIPR Public Relations Centre, London SW1Y 4JR.

Click here to view the full details of the event, or click here for a booking form.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Education and Skills Sector Group Weblog.

The Group's committee collectively decided to develop this blog as a way of enhancing communications with the Group's members, and with the wider audience of communications and public relations professionals working in the education and skills sector. This blog is a way for us to bring you the latest news, useful articles and links, and to let you know what events we, and our partner organisations, have planned that might interest you.