February 2011

For immediate release

CIPR and Leeds Met launch mentoring programme to support the PR

industry

Leeds Metropolitan University and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations

(CIPR) Yorkshire and Lincolnshire have launched a Public Relations
mentoring scheme to boost professional development in the region.

The programme is designed to benefit both mentor and mentee and

employers are encouraged to support colleagues to take part to development
their skills as well as support practitioners of the future.

A networking event for practitioners and students at Leeds Met launched the
mentoring scheme and created a great opportunity for students to meet
professional members of the CIPR.

A series of speakers including the region’s CIPR Young Practitioner of the

Year, Helen Standing, demonstrated the validity of work experience through
their own experience. Deborah Copeland, the newly elected regional CIPR
Chair, highlighted the importance of being passionate about PR and the
importance of showing employers how active you are in the development of
your career. Attendees were then given the challenge to meet at least 5 new
contacts during a series of 3 minute networking slots lasting a full hour.

Second year BA PR student Lauren Woodhouse said: “The PR professionals

were all very supportive and helpful, and most students came out feeling more
confident, having made useful contacts with professionals and other students.
The value of relevant experience became very clear, indicating that it is
important for any student studying Public Relations to gain as much work
experience as possible.”

Victoria Grimes, a BA PR with Marketing student commented: “As a second

year student this was my first networking experience, it was great to be able
to chat with the region’s top PR employers and it gave me a taste of what I
could become involved in as a CIPR student member and how a career in the
PR industry can be.”

The mentoring scheme will ensure students are paired with PR practitioners
that are most suited to their professional interests, for more details please
email l.laville@leedsmet.ac.uk.

Ends

For further details please contact Helen Goodwin in the News and Media
team at Leeds Met on 0113 812 25935 or email h.g.goodwin@leedsmet.ac.uk

Notes for editors:

 Leeds Metropolitan University has 30,000 students and over 300,000

associate students through its partnerships with 24 colleges.
 The University has achieved its best ever Research Assessment
Exercise results. Sports-Related Studies is in the top 6 institutions in
the country with research rated at the highest levels of 4* and 3*.
 The University’s award-winning learning environments include the
iconic Rose Bowl building, awarded Best Commercial Property
Development in the 2009 Yorkshire Property Awards; Broadcasting
Place, winner of the 2010 Leeds Architecture Awards New Building
category and the pioneering Carnegie Village student accommodation.
 Leeds Metropolitan is one of only a handful of UK universities to have
been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard.
 The University is home to The UK Centre for Coaching Excellence for
sport and disability sport and is 3rd in the British University and
Colleges Sport (BUCS) rankings.