Candidates Programmes PR Training programme PR Training programme INTRODUCTION TO THE PR TRAINING PROGRAMME The Taylor Bennett Foundation's award-winning PR Training Programme is a ten week full-time training course in Public Relations (PR) and Communications, designed to equip participants with the relevant knowledge, insights and skills to work in the PR and corporate communications industry. There are a number of programmes each year, each sponsored by a different PR or communications agency. Our current sponsors are: Brunswick Group, Finsbury and FTI Consulting. Applications for our Winter PR Training programme are now open. Apply now here. What is the PR Training programme? The Taylor Bennett Foundation (TBF) PR Training programme is a ten-week intensive PR and Communications training programme, our winter programme is sponsored by FTI Consulting’s Strategic Communications practice. Over the 10 weeks, the programme will be split across two locations, London (9 weeks) and the Brussels office (1 week). Our training programme is designed to directly address the need for greater ethnic diversity in the Public Relations (PR) and Communications industry and is open to graduates from a black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) background. Who are FTI? With more than 25 years’ experience advising management teams through their communications needs, FTI Consulting is one of the world’s most highly regarded communications consultancies. FTI Consulting is an independent global business advisory firm that is dedicated to helping organisations manage change, mitigate risk and resolve disputes whether financial, legal, operational, political or reputational. The Strategic Communications practice of FTI Consulting is one of the world's largest, most dynamic and highly regarded global communications consultancies. The 10-week programme is centred on the Strategic Communications segment of FTI Consulting that designs and executes communications strategies for clients managing financial, regulatory and reputational challenges. The programme combines practical workshops, with regular presenting and writing tasks to provide extensive industry insight and allow the development of specific skills. English tuition is also provided to boost participants writing skills. Tasks on the programme include: Strategic Communications workshops, including an introduction to financial communications, investor relations, public policy, public affairs, corporate communications, reputation and brand building Learning how companies reach and engage their stakeholders, the UK media and digital channels and other PR skills. Expert careers coaching to help you plan your future in the communications industry Presenting – presenting campaigns and research topics to a variety of audiences Writing tasks – conducting daily newspaper summaries of the broadsheets, mid-market tabloids and the red tops. Writing regular press releases and maintaining a blog which looks at prominent issues and case-studies within the industry Masterclasses: weekly masterclasses take place with a variety of agencies and in-house communication’s teams Training courses via the CIPR and PRCA The timetable for the week in Brussels has not been finalised, but previous weeks have included the following: How the Brussels office works for the team and clients – Culture, life balance and values. The office overview and how they are organised. Public Affairs in Brussels– Understanding the EU Institutions and how they interrelate. The basic tools of Public Affairs and lobbying and typical challenges and common strategies. Corporate Reputation – Understanding the current reputation of a company through accurate measurement and establishing measurements for reputation success. Crisis Communications Training Media Campaigns/Social Media and Media Corps in Brussels Creative Comms Cross segment working The traineeships are paid - £269.50 per week training allowance – TAX AND NI EXEMPT (take home pay is equivalent to national minimum wage) + travel expenses in London. Will I secure a job when the programme finishes? Whilst jobs are not guaranteed, there is a strong possibility of employment opportunities within FTI Consulting’s Brussels and London offices. We have an excellent track record of our graduates going straight into employment or fixed term contracts after the 10 week programme. In 2008 our alumni survey revealed that 97% of our alumni have gone on to secure work in the communications industry and 62% of our alumni are still working in communications. What are we looking for? Passion for current affairs, the commercial world and the media. Raw talent, ambition and drive. Excellent research and analytical skills. Lively curiosity and a hunger to learn. Communications skills; people who can listen are articulate and persuasive. The successful candidates will: Want to pursue a successful career in PR and strategic communications Have graduated in the last three years. We will accept applications from graduates who have studied any subject Have a valid passport as part of the programme will include spending a week in Brussels. Be a British national or have immigration status that allows you to be employed in the UK or Brussels at the end of the 10-week programme. Be able to commit to the full 10-week programme. How do I apply? Applications for our winter programme are now open. To apply, you will need to complete our winter programme application form. Eligible graduates need to submit an application form by Friday, December 6th 2019, 5.00pm. What happens next? Shortlisted applicants will be invited to take part in an assessment day. The assessment day will then take place on Friday January 10th 2020 with successful graduates joining the programme from Monday 20th January – Friday 27th March 2020. If you have any queries about the PR Training programme, please contact our programme manager Gabrielle Thuesday [email protected].