PR training request in data analytics and sustainability communication

Continuing education in data and sustainability topics

The most urgently needed skills are technical skills: almost one in two respondents would like further training in the area of data analytics (48 percent). In second place comes sustainability communication (37 percent). Close behind is the desire for further training in multimedia content production (36 percent). Just under one in three respondents considers it useful to expand their skills in the areas of social media management (29 percent) and strategy and conception (28 percent).

By contrast, respondents see less need for further training in project management skills, internal communications (13 percent each), and paid media and market research (12 percent each). The classic communications areas of copywriting skills (9 percent) and media relations (8 percent) are least in demand.

Current continuing education offerings by companies no longer up to date

It is true that the vast majority of companies promote the improvement of skills, with only just over one in ten not yet offering any further training measures (13 percent). But in some areas, the promotion misses the mark. Although personal training in data collection and data analysis is most urgently needed, only a few companies are making their communications departments fit for data analytics. There is demand for this at just under one in two respondents (48 percent), but only one in four companies offers training in data know-how (24 percent). When it comes to sustainability communication, there is also a large gap between personal need and support from the company: 37 percent would like support here, but only 26 percent actively receive it in the form of training.

In the classic communications disciplines, companies invest a lot in further training, although the need is rather low in the opinion of the respondents: For example, almost one in three companies promotes copywriting skills (29 percent), although only one in ten PR professionals personally sees a need in this area (9 percent). The contrast is similarly great in the case of media relations, where every fourth company offers further training (26 percent), but only 8 percent consider it sensible to further improve their skills here. Just under one in three companies also provides training in project management (28 percent), although only just over one in ten has a need for it (13 percent).

Company not yet equipped for the future

The discrepancy between individual training needs and the actual training offered by companies is also reflected in the respondents' answers about the top future competencies in the PR industry. According to the survey, communication on sustainability will become much more important for 41 percent of respondents in the next two years. Technical skills - especially data collection and analysis - will also become much more important in the future, according to one in three PR professionals (32 percent). But the relevance of certain soft skills is also increasing. In the opinion of PR professionals, the ability to think critically (36 percent) and to be curious about change (33 percent) will become much more important in the future. Emotional intelligence will also become much more important for every fourth communications professional surveyed (25 percent).

By contrast, no great increase in importance is attributed to classic media work. Only 6 percent believe that this competence will become much more important in the next two years. However, the majority of respondents (54 percent) continue to attribute it the same importance in the skills kit. The situation is similar with texting skills. For only 12 percent will this skill become much more important in the future, but 43 percent assume that working on texts will not become less important.

Source: www.newsaktuell.ch