April 29, 2016

Australian-first student consultancy for star communicators

Unique student-run public relations agency to train tomorrow’s professionals.

An innovative program to equip students with practical, real-world experience has led to the creation of Australia’s first student-run public relations agency within an established industry consultancy. 

The agency, dubbed Catalyst, is a collaboration between UOW and Illawarra-based public relations consultancy LBPR.

Dr Lois Burgess, from UOW’s Faculty of Business, has coordinated UOW’s public relations major since it was first introduced in 2008. She said the initiative gave final year students the opportunity to work with real clients – developing communications plans, drafting media releases and liaising with media in order to promote their business.

“Words cannot express how important this kind of hands-on experience is.”

“Today’s graduates need to hit the ground running. They need to be prepared to manage their own clients, to offer specialist advice, and report on their successes.”

LBPR Managing Director Lisa Burling will help mentor the students at Catalyst, which she called an “internship on steroids.”

“It’s an incubator for star talent,” Ms Burling said.

“It also means we can help businesses gain greater exposure in a cost effective, mutually beneficial way.”

Alyss Phillips and Siobhan Kelly are the first students to staff Catalyst, which just received its first clients from the not-for-profit and health sectors. 

People-person Alyss, a third year media and communications student who has found her niche in public relations, has just moved to Wollongong from the NSW Southern Highlands. 

“I started off majoring in marketing, but I’m a real people-person and I really enjoy how public relations allows you to be involved in businesses, and their growth, in a very interactive way. 

“When the opportunity came up to work with Catalyst, I was very excited. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to network and get a real life sense of what the industry is like.” 

Final year commerce student Siobhan Kelly hopes the opportunity will open up doors into the not-for-profit sector. 

The initiative, backed by the Public Relations Institute of Australia, is offered to final year PR students as a semester-long subject, which counts towards their degree.

“It’s fantastic to see experienced communicators, such as Lisa [Burling], team up with university programs to ensure tomorrow’s PR graduates are prepared for the challenges that lie ahead in our fast paced and ever changing industry,” Public Relations Institute of Australia CEO Graham Le Roux said.

UOW also offers public relations students a number of other hands-on experience opportunities, including a range of internships, event management and fundraising.