About Us
The communications industry changes fast. The PR Training Academy knows it well, and we want to help you navigate it.
Learn online, 24/7, at your pace, on any device, with our courses.
Why Choose The PR Training Academy?
Nowadays, communications professionals are drowning in information sources. If you’re reading this, chances are that you need help keeping ahead of changes. However, you are already lacking time in your daily life. It’s normal to need a break. After all, you are working in a global industry that is fiercely competitive.
The PR training Academy designs its courses for you. You can study at any time, in any place. For that reason, you will finally be able to have a resource “Just in Time, Just Enough and Just for Me”.
PR professionals create our courses for PR professionals. We guarantee 24 new courses each year to give you up-to-date resources when you need them. Our courses are available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We give you the material – but only you control your learning experience
A Global Training Partner
As an established player in the PR training and consultancy business, we have partnered with some of the leading PR, media and communications educators and professional bodies across the globe.
The PR Training Academy: Built on Experience
The PR Training Academy is built on years of professional and academic experience in the communications industry. Our courses reflect industry change and trends. Moreover, they are delivered from the perspective of a PR Professional.
The Academy’s team members reflect a wide range of experiences. For instance, they are specialized in fields such as International Public Relations, Media, Higher Education or Online Learning.
Additionally, a team of experienced professionals mentors our courses. They reflect the diversity of our members. They are here to ensure that our courses reflect industry needs whether you are in Europe, the USA, Australia, Asia or the Middle East. Whenever you are in need, they are here to offer advice and guidance.
In the 1990s, the Academy taught public relations and journalism courses at University College Dublin (UCD), University College Cork (UCC) and Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT).
As the Academy grew, we expanded our range of courses to include event management, radio and television presenting, grammar, social media marketing and mobile journalism.
PARTNER COLLEGES
We created a network of partner colleges who teach our courses throughout Ireland. We accredit and certify courses in approx. 40 colleges throughout the country. We also have partner colleges in Greece (The E-Learning Academy) and Nigeria (Dorben Polytechnic) who teach our courses.
More About Our CEO - Ellen Gunning
Our founder, Ellen Gunning, has worked in the PR industry for the past 25 years.
ENTREPRENEUR
Ellen Gunning is the founder and director of the Irish Academy of Public Relations. Ellen is consequently the head of the largest private provider of online public relations, journalism and event management education in Ireland. The Academy has partner colleges in Greece, Nigeria and the Middle East. It has altogether taught courses to over 5000 students, in six languages. Additionally, Ellen is a broadcast media journalist, an author and an accomplished speaker. In 1985, she formed the PR consultancy Elton Communications, which handled a wide range of clients. Over the years, Ellen has handled the publicity for Kerrygold Dublin Horse Show, National Energy Awareness Week and a presidential campaign.
AUTHOR
Ellen has written three books. Her first book, Public Relations: A Practical Approach, is the core text for all courses in PR throughout Ireland. In 2005, Ellen designed postgraduate Higher Diploma courses in PR and Journalism which were validated by HETAC (the Higher Education and Training Awards Council) at Level 8 on the National Framework. Her second book, Capital Women of Influence, profiles 13 women across a range of disciplines who exercise incredible influence over Dublin. Her third book, Ten Red Hot Tips to Promote Your Business, was published in September 2016. She is the author of the core text “Public Relations: A Practical Approach” (Macmillan Higher Education UK, 3rd Edition, October 2018). Third level institutes study her work all around the world.
JOURNALIST
A member of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) since the mid 1980s, Ellen is the Chairman of the Board of Dublin City FM radio station where she presents a weekly program – Mediascope. The program puts a spotlight on issues of interest to public relations, journalism and event management practitioners. The show is broadcast on Tuesdays at 1.30pm on 103.2 Dublin City FM and is also available as a podcast.
CHARITY WORK
Ellen’s passion for community work and charities also gave her the opportunity to generate publicity for the voluntary causes that she is involved in, including the Irish Cancer Society. She has served as a Government appointed director to the boards of the National Concert Hall and the Central Council of the Irish Red Cross. Ellen was also the President of the International Public Relations Association (Ireland), and is a former board member of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland.
You can find out more about Ellen and her career over at EllenGunning.com.
Our business has been supported by our Local Enterprise Office, Enterprise Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund.