The Irish Academy of PR is built on years of professional and academic experience in communications.
Our courses reflect industry changes and trends and are delivered from the perspective of a PR professional.
At the Irish Academy of PR we understand the critical role that effective public relations and communications play in today’s dynamic business landscape. As a leading corporate training company, we specialise in empowering professionals and organisations.
Whether it be in person or online, our training is designed to meet the specific needs of our clients. We will design a bespoke programme that will address the skills gap in your organisation.
Social Media Strategy and Content
Social media is key to communicating with your audience, but it is only effective with a strategic plan. Organisations need to understand who their audience is and what content works to engage them. We provide training in social media marketing and communication that will deliver real and measurable impact across all your platforms.
Duration: The duration of the training will be determined by the client’s needs and which areas they wish to focus on. Our training programmes range from a half day’s training to as many full days as are required. These can be spread over a number of weeks to suit the learner’s work commitments.
Format: In person or by webinar
Fee: Varies based on the duration of the training
April McManus is an experienced social media strategist, content creator, and training provider, with a robust professional background in the industry spanning over 6 years. April has been assisting businesses across various sectors in elevating their online presence through education and the implementation of cutting-edge strategies.
Political Advocacy
Corporations end up having to advocate and influence government policies, from regional to European, at some point. To do that, they need to lobby. Ethical lobbying is an important part of the democratic process.
The course is tailored to the specific needs of your organisation. A full outline of the training can be found below. This can be sub-divided into the specific areas relevant to your organisation, if necessary.
- The political landscape. Understanding the role of Government ministers, elected representatives, civil servant and civic society (business, charity, lobbying organisations)
- How the institutions of the state work
- Understanding local government and how City Hall works
- How to structure a successful, ethical lobbying campaign
- When and who to lobby (who has the power to decide or influence)
- Registering as a lobbyist (transparency is vital)
- Appearing before an Oireachtas committee (how to prepare)
- The European landscape (institutions, elected representatives, directorates general etc)
- Lobbying in Europe
Duration: The duration of the training will be determined by the client’s needs and which areas they wish to focus on. Our training programmes range from a half day’s training to as many full days as are required. These can be spread over a number of weeks to suit the participant’s work commitments.
Format: In person or by webinar
Fee: Varies based on the duration of the training
Derek Mooney has over 30-years-experience in the public affairs sectors in Ireland, Northern Ireland and the EU. Derek served as a senior Irish government adviser for several years, including working on a number of national election campaigns. He has since worked as a public affairs consultant, advising a range of representative groups and major multi-nationals. Derek has devised and delivered effective public policy campaigns that resulted in significant changes to Irish and EU legislation.
AI for Workflow Optimisation
The range of AI tools that have become available has exploded. Chat GPT and Dall-E are the best known, but almost every other platform and tool has now added AI capabilities.
Our training will provide your team with practical uses of the main AI tools that will allow them to maximise their capabilities. It will also cover the ethical use of AI and how to avoid the pitfalls around security and data protection.
Course Topics:
- Introduction to Chat GPT and AI tools
- Using AI tools for copywriting and content creation.
- AI for research and analysis
- Limitation, security and ethical considerations when using AI tools.
Duration: The duration of the training will be determined by the client’s needs and which areas they wish to focus on. Our training programmes range from a half day’s training to as many full days as are required. These can be spread over a number of weeks to suit the learner’s work commitments.
Format: In person or by webinar
Fee: Varies based on the duration of the training
April McManus is an experienced social media strategist, content creator, and AI enthusiast, with a robust professional background in the industry spanning over 6 years. April is an expert at incorporating AI tools into workflows and maximising their potential. April has been assisting businesses across various sectors in elevating their online presence through education and the implementation of cutting-edge strategies and sees AI as an invaluable resource for business.
Building Leadership Skills for Women
There are many talented women driving the day to day running of departments and organisations. This is challenging work that demands a lot from those involved and can take its toll on women in leadership or guidance positions. In order to be a high performer you need to feel confident in your role.
This training has been developed specifically for women, to equip them with the tools and skills required to meet the various challenges that they face.
Course Topics:
- Define and establish your place in the organization
- Build confidence through identifying and leveraging your strengths
- Develop coping strategies to manage day-to-day stressors and challenges
- Build resilience to stand strong in the face of adversity, bounce back from setbacks or grow from difficult experiences
- Upgrade skills and behaviours to balance your well-being with high performance
Duration: The duration of the training will be determined by the client’s needs and which areas they wish to focus on. Our training programmes range from a half day’s training to as many full days as are required. These can be spread over a number of weeks to suit the learner’s work commitments.
Format: In person or by webinar
Fee: Varies based on the duration of the training
Martina Doherty is an accredited Leadership Coach and Corporate Trainer. Originally from a PR/Comms background, she now supports leaders and organizations to create high performing, happy and healthy cultures. Martina’s skills include leadership and team development, organizational behaviour and strategic communications.
Crisis Communications Strategy
The Crisis Communications Strategy course provides participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively manage communications during times of crisis. Participants will learn how to develop a comprehensive crisis communications plan, handle media inquiries, and mitigate reputational damage.
Through interactive exercises, case studies, and practical examples, participants will gain valuable insights into building and implementing effective crisis communications strategies.
Course Topics:
- Introduction to Crisis Communications
- Developing a Crisis Communications Plan
- Preparing for a Crisis
- Crisis Messaging and Media Relations
- Communication Channels and Tactics
- Crisis Response and Reputation Management
- Evaluating and Learning from Crises
- Ethical Considerations in Crisis Communications
Duration: The duration of the training will be determined by the client’s needs and which areas they wish to focus on. Our training programmes range from a half day’s training to as many full days as are required. These can be spread over a number of weeks to suit the learner’s work commitments.
Format: In person or by webinar
Fee: Varies based on the duration of the training
Jim Walsh has over 40 years’ experience in public relations industry both in-house and consultancy. He is fellow of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII), former President PRII and former Chairman of Public Relations Consultants Association Ireland, and worldwide President (2007-2009) IPREX, an international network of almost 70 public relations agencies. Specialties: Corporate counselling, crisis management, media relations, lecturer in PR and media, sponsorship. management, corporate writing.
Crisis Media Interview Skills
The Crisis Media Interview Skills course equips participants with the essential skills and techniques to navigate media interviews during times of crisis.
Through interactive sessions, practical exercises, and mock interviews, participants will develop the ability to deliver clear, concise, and effective messages while managing the challenges and pressures of media interactions.
Course Topics
- Understanding Crisis Media Interviews
- Preparing for a Crisis Media Interview
- Message Delivery and Body Language
- Managing Media Interactions During Crisis Interviews
- Handling Difficult Situations and Controversial Topics
- Mock Interviews and Feedback Sessions
- Post-Interview Evaluation and Analysis
Duration: The duration of the training will be determined by the client’s needs and which areas they wish to focus on. Our training programmes range from a half day’s training to as many full days as are required. These can be spread over a number of weeks to suit the learner’s work commitments.
Format: In person or by webinar
Fee: Varies based on the duration of the training
Ellen Gunning, Chief Executive Officer, is a thought leader, author of the academic textbook (Public Relations, a Practical Approach, Macmillan Higher Education International, UK, 3rd edition, October 2018), and founder of the online training provider, The Irish Academy of Public Relations. An international conference speaker and lecturer, Ellen is globally networked through IPRA (past national president), PRII (conferred with a fellowship), EADL (central council member, 5 million online students), SERAS CSR Awards for Africa (board member), Dublin City FM (Former Chairman of the board of directors), and active membership of PRSA, NUJ, EAJ and the World Trade Centres. Ellen is a regular media commentator on Breakfast Television (Virgin Media 1).
Ellen Gunning is joined in the training by a News Journalist who is chosen from our industry panel.
Public Speaking/Presentation Skills
Communication is the greatest skill that human beings possess and is the key to successful relationships in all areas of our lives. The ability to inform, influence and motivate are learned skills and with training and practise, you can be a confident inspiring speaker who can communicate your ideas and opinions to any size of audience.
This is a hands-on practical course that will equip you with the skills to manage your anxiety and find your voice. You will learn how to deliver your message in an engaging and persuasive way to create a real impact on your audience.
Course Topics
- Public Speaking – Why it Matters
- Fear of Public Speaking
- Speaking and presenting styles
- Delivering your speech
- Finding your own voice
- Creating your speech
- Preparation for Public Speaking
Duration: The duration of the training will be determined by the client’s needs and which areas they wish to focus on. Our training programmes range from a half day’s training to as many full days as are required. These can be spread over a number of weeks to suit the learner’s work commitments.
Format: In person or by webinar
Fee: Varies based on the duration of the training
Ellen Gunning, Chief Executive Officer, is a thought leader, author of the academic textbook (Public Relations, a Practical Approach, Macmillan Higher Education International, UK, 3rd edition, October 2018), and founder of the online training provider, The Irish Academy of Public Relations. An international conference speaker and lecturer, Ellen is globally networked through IPRA (past national president), PRII (conferred with a fellowship), EADL (central council member, 5 million online students), SERAS CSR Awards for Africa (board member), Dublin City FM (Former Chairman of the board of directors), and active membership of PRSA, NUJ, EAJ and the World Trade Centres. Ellen is a regular media commentator on Breakfast Television (Virgin Media 1).
Colette Newport, English and Linguistics graduate of UCD and Trinity College Business School, Dublin, is a professional trainer with extensive experience in the communications and marketing space. In this course, she focuses on the use of language and speech writing in public speaking, assisting participants to polish and refine their message for maximum impact.
Effective Internal Communications
In a corporate environment, effective internal communications foster a sense of shared purpose, engage employees at all levels, and align everyone with the organization’s vision and strategic objectives. Through transparent and strategic communication, we can strengthen employee morale, improve productivity, and create an environment where every individual can contribute their best.
During this comprehensive training course, we will explore various facets of corporate internal communications, from understanding its impact on organizational success to honing your skills in crafting compelling messages.
Course Topics
- Communication Channels and Tools
- Understanding Internal Communications
- Crafting Effective Messages
- Active Listening and Feedback
- Cross-Departmental Collaboration
- Measurement and Evaluation
Duration: The duration of the training will be determined by the client’s needs and which areas they wish to focus on. Our training programmes range from a half day’s training to as many full days as are required. These can be spread over a number of weeks to suit the learner’s work commitments.
Format: In person or by webinar
Fee: Varies based on the duration of the training
Mary Cassidy is a seasoned PR professional with over 20 years’ experience. Excelling in both agency-side and in-house roles, she has developed robust internal communication (IC) strategies across government, non-profit, corporate, and consumer sectors. Mary is passionate about IC and believes in the power of open communication between organizations and their most valuable assets: their staff and volunteers. Her objective is to help organizations cultivate a culture where trust and engagement are paramount.
Embracing Diversity and Inclusion
The Diversity and Inclusion Training course is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
This course will explore the benefits of diversity, teach strategies for fostering an inclusive environment, and dictate the role of individuals in promoting diversity and inclusion within their organizations.
Course Topics
- Introduction to Diversity and Inclusion
- Unconscious Bias and Stereotypes
- Legal and Ethical Aspects of Diversity and Inclusion
- Creating an Inclusive Work Environment
- Communication and Collaboration in a Diverse Workplace
- Empathy and Cultural Competence
- Leadership and Diversity
- Action Planning for Diversity and Inclusion
Duration: The duration of the training will be determined by the client’s needs and which areas they wish to focus on. Our training programmes range from a half day’s training to as many full days as are required. These can be spread over a number of weeks to suit the learner’s work commitments.
Format: In person or by webinar
Fee: Varies based on the duration of the training
Martina Doherty is an accredited Leadership Coach and Corporate Trainer. Originally from a PR/Comms background, she now supports leaders and organizations to create high performing, happy and healthy cultures. Martina’s skills include leadership and team development, organizational behaviour and strategic communications.
Effective Business Writing
Whether it’s a memo, email, letter, speech, newsletter article, or blog post, we depend on our business writing skills to communicate with each other and our clients. The quality of our business writing reflects our professionalism to others.
This informative, interactive, and fun workshop is designed to improve your business writing skills to benefit you and your employer.
Course Topics
- Three characteristics of a typical reader/employee
- How to achieve brevity, simplicity, and clarity in your business writing
- Tailoring your communication to suit your audience
- Communicating with senior level executives
- 13 essential questions to ask when considering a communication
- Five key steps in composing a communication
- When not to send out a communication
- Seven questions to ask when editing
- E-mail etiquette & advice
- 10 tips for obtaining copy approvals
- The magic of “S-T”
Duration:
This is a three-hour workshop
Format: Delivered by Zoom webinar
Fee: Based on size of group.
Tom Unger, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA is an award-winning communicator with more than 40 years of business writing, corporate communications, and journalism experience. Tom has taught communications courses at four colleges and universities, and guest lectured at three others. He has also presented at national communication conferences and contributed chapters to two communications manuals. He lives in Vancouver, Wash.
Writing News for the American Media
There are some crucial differences between what the news media in Europe and in the United States find acceptable in a news release.
This informative, interactive, and fun workshop is designed to help communications professionals in Europe increase their placements in the U.S. by improving the written materials they send to American news media outlets.
Course Topics
- Characteristics of a typical U.S. newsroom editor
- What a U.S. journalist considers news
- Key elements of a news release
- How to craft high impact news releases
- How to write strong leads that quickly capture a U.S. editor’s interest
- How to make a news release easier to read and understand
- How to avoid passive writing
- How to incorporate visual cues and formatting
- The most popular news topic among all readers
- Differences between a news release and a media advisory
- Tips for writing bylined articles
- When not to send out a news release
- The magic of “S-T”
Duration:
This is a three-hour workshop
Format: Delivered by Zoom webinar
Fee: Based on size of group.
Tom Unger, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA is an award-winning communicator with more than 40 years of business writing, corporate communications, and journalism experience. Tom has taught communications courses at four colleges and universities, and guest lectured at three others. He has also presented at national communication conferences and contributed chapters to two communications manuals. He lives in Vancouver, Wash.
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Contact us to discuss your training needs
The Irish Academy have over 30 years’ experience in PR and media training. Please contact us to arrange a consultation to establish the best length and format for your bespoke training course. Our director Ellen Gunning will be happy to discuss the options with you.