Wendy Moran: Better education will lead to rapid change
The CIPR Local Public Services Group Conference in Brighton was held amid the comprehensive spending review announcements, which sent a shudder through the audience.
Brighton, located as a digital communication hub, gathered leading experts from this arena who were able to share cost effective solutions and inspirational thinking.
Stand-outs included the concept of digital communication and social change, clearly evidenced among the 90’s generation who are already entering the workplace, bringing with them their understanding of the tools and modifying their own behaviour (rather than privacy settings) in this new ever changing landscape.
In the current economic crisis, sharing best practice and developing our skills, training and education has never been more needed. Following the success of Second Steps, a postgraduate programme aimed at local government communicators, delivered by Manchester Metropolitan University and the Local Public Services Group, we are delighted to announce that we are now working with the CIPR to develop an accredited programme aimed at public service communicators.
The programme will be a new addition to the CIPR's current provision for those in the public sector who already have the CIPR Diploma. The programme will be developed in partnership with the CIPR Local Public Services Group to ensure that the content reflects the needs of our members.
The new programme will be launched in 2011 and further information will be available through the Group's ezine and the CIPR website.
The CIPR Local Public Services Group will also be piloting a student bursary to examine a key area of public service communication, which will be shared with Group members and across the industry.
In these times of cutbacks, communicators need to be educated to lead the rapid change.
Wendy Moran, MCIPR is a senior lecturer in communication at Manchester Metropolitan University and education lead on the CIPR Local Public Services Group.
