PRSSA Apprenticeship Program

PRSSA Ready to Work Apprenticeship

The importance of an internship cannot be overstated. Internships are designed to provide professional experience in your chosen area of study. The Arkansas PRSA chapter wants to add even more value to your PRSSA membership and has developed the PRSSA Apprenticeship Program.

In this program, students who meet the minimum qualifications will be paired with some of the best public relations practitioners in the business to work with them as they deliver everything from crisis communication counseling and public awareness campaigns to special event planning and reputation management.

At the end of this eight-week program, you’ll leave with:

• Two letters of recommendation
  • One from your employer
  • One from the PRSSA Student Liaison and PRSA Board that rates your mastery of the important KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities) associated with success in public relations
• A certificate of completion
• A portfolio with relevant work to share with potential employers

We want this program to be as valuable to students and new graduates as the APR (Accredited in Public Relations) accreditation is to seasoned practitioners. As such, applicants will have to meet rigorous qualifications to be accepted and work sites will be vetted to ensure they can and will provide valuable training that includes client interaction.

Applicants must:

• Be a college junior or senior or a recent graduate (no more than 12 months) who has yet to secure employment in the public relations field.
• Have completed Introduction to Public Relations or Public Relations Techniques AND Writing for Public Relations or Beginning Reporting.
• Be a PRSSA member.
• Write an essay on the role public relations practitioners play or should play within organizations.
• Have a flexible schedule. You’ll be required to adjust schedule with employer but some nights and weekends may be involved.
• Have reliable transportation.