A lack of investment in training puts the industry at risk of falling behind modern business challenges.

Is the PR industry struggling to keep up? Recent research released by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), a UK-based trade body, suggests this may be the case. The study uses data to provide industry insights on the reality of working in the profession, and the challenges practitioners are facing today. 

The findings from this year’s report portray a worrying picture. On average, PR salaries have dropped by £3,000 over the past year. While 72% of agencies reported growth in 2020, only a third say the same this year. Training opportunities are also in short supply, with 60% of agency and consultancy professionals citing a skills shortage within their teams. The rapidly changing media landscape, driven by digital advancements, offers a partial explanation. As the industry continues to evolve, traditional practices, coupled with resource constraints, have made it harder for PR professionals to keep up.

Rich Leigh is founder and CEO at Radioactive PR, an agency based in Gloucester. In 2022, he co-founded High Flyers, an online training platform aimed at supporting early-career PR professionals. The course comprises nine online, video-based lessons. Typically, admission goes for £895; this year, it’s free.

In a recent blog post on the High Flyers website explaining the motivation behind making the course more accessible, Leigh describes PR as facing the “worst job market in 25 years”. Speaking to Communicate magazine, he says the industry is at a critical crossroads. “It’s not just redundancies, or AI, or changing client demands. It’s not just a shifting communications landscape, or the lack of job opportunities. It’s the culmination of all these factors. This is simply not the industry I came into in 2008. No agency has been safe from the impact of the last few years.”

The CIPR’s report also highlights disparities in access to training. A significant 36% of white PR professionals said they’d had their training requests turned down in the last 12 months, a figure that jumps to 47% for non-white practitioners. Jon Gerlis, head of public relations and policy at the CIPR, attributes the lack of training investment to economic pressures. “With organisations facing tighter budgets and practitioners experiencing real terms pay cuts, training often becomes viewed as a discretionary expense rather than an essential investment. This leaves many teams operating at full capacity, making it difficult to allocate time for their professional development.”

Gerlis warns that this lack of investment could hinder the industry’s ability to keep pace with evolving business needs. “There’s a growing skills gap that is particularly concerning as it indicates the PR industry is not adapting fast enough. We don't want to see PR falling behind other professional services sectors, particularly in areas like data analytics, digital transformation and strategic communications.”

Leigh emphasises the importance of supporting younger, less privileged professionals. “My priority is to support my team as best as I can, deliver great work for our clients and support young people entering the industry, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. That’s what we’re doing, in our own small way, by making the High Flyers PR Course free.

“I’ve worked in this industry for 17 years now,” Leigh adds. “I care that young people, particularly from less privileged backgrounds like mine, can get into in PR. Whatever that industry looks like.”