‘It is imperative that on-the-job training is given to young professionals’

According to a 2021 estimate by the CIA World Factbook, India's median age is 28 years and it is gauged that by 2026, 64.8 per cent of India’s population would be in the working age of 15-64 years (as per an article by peoplematters.in). Indian millennials, currently straddling a number of about 400 million, are undoubtedly, one of the world's largest cohorts. It is their talent, flair and aptitude that will take the country forward. But for that to happen, it is imperative that these millennials and more so, the generation after them – the Gen Z – are offered and provided with apt guidance from an early age.

“How to make the youth industry ready?” was the topics that was deliberated upon at one of the  sessions of the e4m PR & Corp Comm 40 Under 40 Summit 2022. The panel was composed of Ayushi Arora, CEO and founder, Media Corridor; Madhvi Chaudhary, PR manager, Media Mic, and Nehha Gupta, AVP, Value360Communication, along with moderator Shrabasti Mallik, exchange4media.

Initiating the conversation, Mallik mentioned how experts have noticed a gap between education and the ever-evolving PR industry requirements. Sharing her views on how this gap can be addressed, Gupta said, “When it comes to education and the ever-evolving pr practices and the dynamics of this industry, the core point to address here is that many of us get a lot of industry 'gyaan' during our college time from industry leaders who come and give us pointers on what pr is and the pr tools that we are supposed to use. But when we actually come into the field, we are all clueless. We do not know how to resonate with the theory and the practical. So, it's very important to have an amalgamation of theory and practical. It is also imperative that on-the-job training is given to young professionals because I honestly believe that in communication, learning-on-the-job has nothing to do with theory. My suggestion is that if education institutes collaborate with industry bodies like PRCAI, it will help them revisit the curriculum and course content. That way, we will have smarter youth who will bring in more professionalism, which, in turn, will also address the business literacy and business etiquette.”

Agreeing with Gupta, Chaudhary added, “Post pandemic, the world has changed drastically. There has been digital transformation in almost every sector, and PR is no less. Adding to it, the lack of academic curriculum to keep pace with the changing industry had widened this gap. Even premium universities who have societies and communities built for every other mainstream field, be it consultancy, campus placements, marketing or advertising, they have nothing for PR. It is not promoted as a strong-foot mainstream field, which is sad to know. But I really feel this wide gap can be addressed if we, as PR professionals and youngsters, invest in self-learning and constant upskilling. Universities should really start exploring other ideas of engineering their curriculum. There should be internship-based curriculum where students can work on real-time industry projects and get to know what their planning to step into.”

Speaking from the perspective of the founder an CEO of a PR firm, Arora, first, admitted the existence of the gap. “That's definite,” she attested and added that the reason for its existence is because of the ever-evolving nature of the industry. “And it will always be. You can't, therefore change the foundation ground of what PR is. The theoretical knowledge that the institutes are imparting, you cannot change that. However, what can be done, in my opinion, is that you can redefine it – by running sessions with industry experts. Invite them to have in-person sessions with your students so they get the knowledge of an outside agency expert coming and talking to these future young, vibrant professionals on what lies on the other side of the table, because the students have not seen the world; they are only studying about it. So, the foundation ground is set. Second, I truly feel that there should be an exchange programme. That is one. Second, I truly feel that there should be an exchange programme. Imagine that you have a PGDM course in PR. Give three months of that to an agency you get to work with. They certify you further. So, when you are completing your course, you are just not ready, you are an industry-ready professional. When you are meeting somebody for an interview tomorrow, you don't just say that you graduated from a certain institute or college, you say that 'I already have a trainee experience; I was a professional while I was being educated',” Arora pointed out and elucidated the reason behind her opinion. “I come from a journalism background and completed my journalism education from the Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media. We did not have books. None. No theoretical knowledge. It was completely practical. We were asked to go out on the field, figure out a new story and come back. So when I was joined a media house, I did not say that I just about completed my education. I showed them the case studies that I worked on and the stories I have reported. Similarly, in PR, say when I am interviewing somebody, I would love it if they tell me that they have worked on an certain client with a certain agency and this is what they brought to the table. That just adds more starts to the resume,” she elaborated.

While there is no denying that it is the youth that will usher India into a new era, the onus of preparing that same vibrant and tenacious youth for the industry lies with academic institutions.

To know more, please watch the entire session in the video shared here.