Going Forward 2010s

CPRS launched Pathways to the Profession in September 2011.

Milestone 61
Pathways to the Profession

2011: With the number of new or expanded public relations (PR) and communications management (CM) programs on the rise across Canada, CPRS acknowledges that the profession has an interest in how future practitioners are taught at all levels of academia. CPRS National officially launched Pathways to the Profession™: An Outcomes Based Approach Towards Excellence in Canadian Public Relations and Communications Management Education in September 2011. To distinguish the Pathways as a unique program of CPRS, the Society applied for the right to trademark Pathways to the Profession™.

This program was developed by the CPRS National Council on Education over the past three years in co-ordination with the academic and professional public relations communities. The Pathways provides post-secondary institutions an opportunity to become formally recognized by CPRS for a period of five years. Academic institutions considering developing a PR or CM program will be able to create their curriculum with the Pathways guidelines as a tool to ensure that their programs produce highly skilled public relations practitioners.

Milestone 62
Affiliate Membership Introduced

2012: In January 2012, CPRS National introduced the new Affiliate membership level. Public relations professionals with less than two years of experience are eligible to join CPRS National Society and Local Member Societies at a discounted rate for a maximum period of two years. The new national Affiliate Member category is intended to facilitate the transition of students into full membership. Affiliate Members will be full voting members of the Society.