Let’s provide meaningful support to help students enter our profession

We all heard the stories this week about students beginning a new school year, including the tearful moments when parents take their teenagers to a post-secondary school away from home. These are bittersweet experiences.

A story we hear much less is about the tears of not being able to attend post-secondary learning. For a variety of economic and social reasons, some students face the painful reality that attending college or university is a bridge too far.

Like many issues, this one is not simple and easy to fix. The question for professionals in public relations or other industries is how are we applying skills, knowledge, and resources to help? We need to be making meaningful efforts, not just gestures.

In her excellent 2018 paper on access to post-secondary education in Ontario, Jennifer Robson confirms that this higher level of learning is a major contributor to social mobility and labour market outcomes, but continues to be elusive for lower income households. It’s true that governments have simplified access to funding support, but other barriers remain. The educational experience of parents is an influence. Robson notes that immigrant experiences vary, with many educated newcomers strongly supporting post-secondary learning while children of refugees are less likely to attend. Indigenous youth are also below the national average in attending past high school. Beyond tuition and books, living expenses are also an issue, notably housing.

All professions should reflect the society they serve. We need to do better at attracting diverse young people, including from lower incomes, into our industry so they can enjoy career success.

I’ve used the word meaningful because we need to be generous. The barriers are high. At Proof Strategies, we’ve participated in creating at least five new scholarships in the past year to support access to learning for a career in public relations or communications. By supporting the CPRS Foundation we led the way with seed funding to create two scholarships for Indigenous students. We’re also investing in another CPRS scholarship for racialized students, and we have funded three separate grants in the Humber College Bachelor of PR. To be meaningful nowadays, I encourage leaders and organizations to create scholarships that are at least $3,000 annually with a multi-year commitment so the student can complete the program. It’s one thing to announce a scholarship but much more important to make a tangible and life-changing impact on a student. Individually and collectively, we can do this. I know the CPRS Foundation is actively raising funds, or many companies are developing their own plans.

In tandem with giving financial resources, Proof is working with schools and school boards to reach students in secondary grades to inform them about the option of a career in our profession. This work is a key to improving diversity.

In June, I attended the online graduation ceremony at Humber College. It was so inspiring to see the grads and so moving to see those tears of joy. Let’s do more to help, and let’s be generous.