London,
09
April
2020
|
12:03
Europe/London

CIPR joins Government Communication Service 'Advisory Panel' to support profession in crisis

Summary

● New portal will signpost communication practitioners to available roles in government and offer the opportunity to register their availability for government work

● A network of communication experts will offer career and professional development guidance, alongside outplacement, mentoring and coaching support

The Government Communication Service has put together an advisory panel, which includes the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), to provide career support to communications professionals whose roles have been impacted by Covid-19.

As one unified voice representing the communications sector, the advisory panel will provide strategic leadership for the profession and offer practical support for specialists.

Advice and insight from these experts will also help shape the Government’s Covid-19 communication activities.

The Advisory Panel will contribute to the implementation of this support, which includes:

  • a new portal on the GCS website listing communication roles in government; the service is available to communication professionals with government and non-government backgrounds
  • inviting communications practitioners who have lost their jobs in the UK to register via the portal their availability for any potential work within government
  • virtual career support, including mentoring and CV guidance
  • a virtual professional development offer (free and paid-for webinars)
  • facilitating secondments, shadowing and pooling resources where appropriate.

Across government, a number of departments are still advertising for and recruiting communications professionals on a permanent and short-term basis. The new portal will direct people to these roles through government-owned channels, while the organisations on the advisory panel will also promote roles through their networks. Among a wide range of areas where the government requires immediate support, digital and social media skills feature highly alongside more traditional roles of media/press office and insight and evaluation.

Alastair McCapra, CIPR Chief Executive
The challenges we’re all facing call for extraordinary measures, and I’m very pleased that the professional bodies are working with the Government Communication Service to provide support for colleagues who need us all to pull together. For its contribution the CIPR is making many of its learning resources available to all, and its network of local, national and sector-specific groups is also open to non-members. We continue to push for more financial support from the Treasury, particularly for directors of small companies.
Alastair McCapra, CIPR Chief Executive

The panel will provide advice, outplacement support, mentoring and coaching to communications professionals, and signpost to existing mental health and wellbeing support and legal advice.

The advisory panel comprises leaders from across the UK communications industry:

  • The Government Communication Service (GCS)
  • Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
  • Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)
  • Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC)
  • Local Government Association
  • Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA)

To support practitioners in the communications industry during the pandemic, the CIPR has put together a series of free #CIPRLearn webinars, is collaborating with global partners to deliver 30 free webinars in April as well as made a number of their previously member-only content available to all.

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About the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)

Founded in 1948, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners in the UK and overseas. The CIPR is the largest membership organisation for PR practitioners outside of North America. By size of turnover and number of individually registered members, we are the leading representative body for the PR profession and industry in Europe.

The CIPR advances professionalism in public relations by making its members accountable to their employers and the public through a code of conduct and searchable public register, setting standards through training, qualifications, awards and the production of best practice and skills guidance, facilitating Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and awarding Chartered Public Relations Practitioner status (Chart.PR).