Opinion: From our Readers - PR needs apprentices rather than degrees ..

For too long, agencies have relied on graduates, many of whom seem to be leaving university with less and less of an idea about how to work in the real world. Recruiting trainee-level staff by offering work experience programmes, available to graduates and non-graduates, and promoting admin juniors, who can start work with GCSEs or vocational qualifications, should now be the focus.

In fact, it seems the industry is actually looking for recruits at the wrong level - we don't need PR degrees, we need PR apprenticeships.

Simon Francis, associate board director, Band & Brown Communications