A North Wales PR practitioner is encouraging professionals in the field to take their development to the next level to ensure they constantly provide the most up-to-date communications insight.
Ahead of this year’s national Learning at Work Week, which runs from 16 to 22 May, Tom Norris, account executive at Mold-based Outwrite PR, has attributed the agency’s success and winning of prestigious awards to a constant push in professional development across the company’s staff.
All Outwrite employees have completed the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ (CIPR) annual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme this year, with Tom taking strides in his development by completing the cycle for the first time.
Along with Tom, account manager Calhan Behrendt and account executive Alexia Jones, also joined the agency mid-CPD cycle and successfully logged 60 points worth of learning activities before the deadline.
Included in its employee benefits package, Outwrite offers CIPR membership to all staff as well as providing support and time in office hours for them to complete the annual CPD.
Learners can choose from more than 1,800 resources including podcasts, articles, and webinars, which can be accessed through the CIPR database as well as participants taking their development in their own hands by logging external events and activities.
For example, Cal and Alexia logged CPD points by attending workshops organised by the National Union of Journalists Training Wales to advance their video shooting and editing skills for content creation across social media.
Tom, who previously worked as a local and regional journalist before joining Outwrite in December, completed the cycle in under four months, which included attending webinars on social media law and independent learning on ESG reporting.
He said: “The CPD has really accelerated my development as having such a broad range of activities to choose from meant I could cater my learning to what I’m interested in and what would be relevant to the clients I work with.
“For example, environmental, social and governance (ESG) activity is becoming an increasingly prominent topic and the chance to dig a little deeper into that in the form of a podcast was hugely beneficial.”
Chartered practitioner and Outwrite’s managing director Anthony Bullick has completed his tenth consecutive cycle this year since starting his career at the business in 2012.
He said: “Working with employees who want to enhance their knowledge of the sector and apply this to their everyday work with clients is fantastic.
“By taking the time to complete the annual CPD programme, we are constantly pushing the agency to be at the forefront of the industry by not dragging our feet in an evolving communications landscape.
“As an employer, it’s important that I keep progressing with my development and have found CPD to be a motivating way to enrich my career, with chairing a panel event during the CIPR national conference as a particular highlight.”
Outwrite’s clients include construction firm Wynne Construction, Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK, Warrington-based Watsons Solicitors and specialist residential care provider Meddyg Care.
