There are now a record 11 universities represented in the published top 20.

The stats are taken directly from our much larger UK PR student lists on Klout and PeerIndex and are up-to-date at 9pm on 2 February 2012:

We introduced the #socialstudent list here, and updated and extended it in week two, week three, week four, week five, week six, week seven, week eight, week nine, week ten and week eleven.

David Willetts, the Universities minister, stated yesterday that the introduction of higher fees has discouraged significant numbers of students from applying.

The provisional figures published by UCAS in November showed that the number of students who applied for places at UK universities was 158,387, down 23,427 compared to the same point a year earlier.

Overall, applications are expected to be down by between 7-8%, when overseas students are included.

2011 saw the final year for which tuition fees were £3000. This year tuition fees  have moved up the scale to around the £9000 mark.

Most universities and colleges are expected to try to charge up to or close to the new limit next year. But some experts predict fees will fall for 2013 as demand drops off, particularly for less prestigious courses.

Sarah Spencer, academic director of the distance learning centre Oxford College, commented:

“Even taking into account last year’s surge in demand for university places, this is a sudden, and severe, drop in applications. It’s not a pretty picture. With many universities now charging £9000 a year for tuition, the cost is clearly scaring off many would-be students.

“It’s years since getting a degree was any sort of guarantee of getting a good job. Now university fees are so high that a three-year degree course is increasingly looking like an expensive gamble. Among our students, we have seen a steep increase in interest in vocational courses like BTEC Higher National Diplomas. Many calculate that these sort of applied courses will give them faster and more cost-effective access to the relevant skills that will improve their job prospects.

“As even the ivory towers of academia are buffeted by the chill economic winds, students’ fears about cost and the anaemic jobs market are combining to change the shape of higher education.”

The stats are taken directly from our UK PR student lists on Klout and PeerIndex and are up-to-date at 2pm on 26 January 2012:

We introduced the #socialstudent list here, and updated and extended it in week two, week three, week four, week five, week six, week seven, week eight, week nine and week ten.

On Thursday 23 February, from 7.00pm until late, 500 of the top PRs in the UK will come out in force at Shoreditch Town Hall in London in support of Bright One, the volunteer-run communications agency for the third sector.

For a ticket price of just £25, you will get:

• A ‘Brite Fizz’ signature cocktail upon arrival, courtesy of Eventbrite
• 3 free drinks from the bar
• Live entertainment from the amazing She Makes War
• DJ set from Matt Brawn
• A prom photo as a keepsake of the night
• Food provided by Eat.St:
• Mini wraps, mini rolls and mini portion of ribs from The Rib Man
• Stews from around the world from Stewed and Baked
• Imperial BBQ Pho Rolls, Op La Di Beef Pho Rolls and Fish Q Pho Rolls from Banhmi11 
• And more to come on the night…

Find out more at www.prprom.org

Alumni from the Taylor Bennett Foundation

In spring 2012 the Taylor Bennett Foundation is running its award-winning PR training programme in association with MHP Communications.

This programme has been designed to address the lack of ethnic minorities in the PR industry. The deadline for applying to the next Taylor Bennett Foundation Programme is Monday 27 February 2012.

Those selected for the programme will get:

• 10 weeks of paid training
• £210 per week (you will not be liable to pay tax and NI on your training allowance)
• All your travel expenses
• The opportunity to meet industry professionals and visit really interesting organisations (previous field trips have included Channel 4 News, Grazia Magazine, London Fashion Week, P&G, Adidas, Elle Magazine, BP, Save the Children, The Observer, The Financial Times, PR Week, the PRCA, the CIPR, the Home Office, Standard Chartered Bank, Edelman, Unity PR, Fishburn Hedges, Thomson Reuters, ITN, Fremantle Media, Whizz Kidz, The Times and Speed Communications)
• Top media training from journalists and PR professionals
• Weekly career advice sessions from the industry’s best headhunters

Previous interns are now in their first jobs in PR at firms which include Topshop, Brunswick, Cantos, Racepoint Group, Talk PR, Chatsworth Communications, Cable & Wireless, Pepsico, Mumsnet and Macbeth Media Relations and others have gone on to gain work experience at Ketchum, The Observer and Save the Children.

There are only eight places available on this prestigious scheme, so make yourself stand out from the crowd.

In order to apply you must:

• Be aware that this scheme is designed to directly address the greater need for ethnic diversity in the PR and communications industry
• Be a graduate in ANY degree subject.
• Have indefinite leave to stay in the UK.  Post study work visas and student visa holders are NOT eligible for this programme.
• Have an interest in embarking on a career in public relations
• Have strong writing skills

Some current interns

Whitney Brown is an Events Management and Public Relations graduate from London Metropolitan University. She has since worked in the US but says ‘knowing a trade and being confident at that trade are completely different. Overall doing this internship I want my confidence in writing to grow. Plus I want to learn more about the other writing tools such as communications plans and campaigns.’

Cindy Yau was an avid charity campaigner at university the first time around when at Northumbria University studying BA English and Art History where she loved working in events management, fundraising, and writing about my experiences for Oxfam, Coco, and UNICEF.

Lekha Mohanlal is a Media Studies graduate from Sussex University:

“I adore fashion and have also interned in-house at Lipsy and Brighton Fashion Week. It was my vast interest in fashion PR that encouraged me to apply for the Taylor Bennett Foundation internship sponsored by Talk PR. Receiving training and advice from company experts was the main selling point of the programme for me as it is not offered on many other internships. Although I am a self-confessed fashion freak I want to explore the world of beauty PR as I am a product junkie and have a genuine interest in writing press releases and promoting beauty brands.”

Rebecca Smith is a 22 year-old Roehampton University graduate with a Jamaican and British heritage:

“The process of being successful for the internship programme was tough but fair, and being prepared was key. The assessment day was eye opening and I feel was a reflection of the level of commitment and intenseness required to complete the scheme. “

Candice Allen is a 30 year-old mother of two:

“I believe that with this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games fasts approaching, the legacy of the games will bring opportunities for communications professionals.”

Wayne Rooney tweeted “Listened to some great music today from a young band from Liverpool, get following @TheHummingbirds”, and Colleen Rooney tweeted “Cavern tonight, seen a brilliant Liverpool band The Humming Birds!!! They got me dancing, really good x”, and with an appearance on Sports Tonight Live, it is only a matter of time before everyone in the UK knows about this amazing band.

They write all their own songs and play all their own music. What more could you want in this mass produced, X Factor generation?

With hits in the waiting like ‘Back In Liverpool’ and ‘Awaiting Your Call’, this band is a modern day Beatles, with a great folk sound.

On 2 February 2012, The Hummingbirds are playing The Dry Dock, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds. The gig starts at around 9:30pm, free entrance.

Come and see this band before you have to pay over the rate ticket prices to see them in arenas and stadiums!

The Hummingbirds band members

Jay Davies – Lead vocals & guitar

Matty Brougham – Guitar

Mic Kountis – Guitar & backing vocals

Richard Smith – Backing vocals & Cajon & Percussion

Ryan Lewis – Bass

(We introduced the #socialstudent list here, and updated and extended it in week two, week three, week four, week five, week six, week seven, week eight and week nine.)

The stats are taken directly from our UK PR student lists on Klout and PeerIndex and are up-to-date at 2pm on 19 January 2012:

This full day event will see a variety of panel sessions and speakers discuss the many different aspects of public relations from working within an agency or an in-house team; the difference between sectors such as consumer, sport, local government, and issues such as sustainability.

A panel of the brightest young PR professionals will discuss what entry level PR is really like, followed by two master classes on breaking into the industry and the ever popular topic of digital PR.

The day will then conclude with a tailored session on CV and interview advice from experts in graduate recruitment.

The full day costs £25 for students on courses at PRCA partner universities (listed here) and for PRCA student members, £30 for all other students and graduates.

Further event details and a link to a booking form are available here.

(We introduced the socialstudent list here, and updated and extended it in week two, week three, week four, week five, week six, week seven and week eight.)

The stats are taken directly from our UK PR student lists on Klout and PeerIndex and are up-to-date at 9pm on 12 January 2012:

Adam Burns (right) with his Two Birds One Stone co-founders at Queen Square

A Leeds-based creative agency which was co-founded by a Leeds Metropolitan University student and two recent University of Leeds graduates has been given funding for office space by the Enterprise Office at Leeds Metropolitan University.

Two Birds One Stone combines the PR expertise of the Bell Pottinger Academy (the student arm of Bell Pottinger) and the design and marketing talent of Magpie Communications, who both have experience working with youth brands such as Oxford Stationery, Leeds Corn Exchange and a number of universities and colleges across the UK.

The young team, which recently announced its third client win in the shape of bagel and coffee chain Bagel Nash, will move in to the new home at the Leeds Met Enterprise Department on Queen Square this week.

Adam Burns, Co-founder of Two Birds One Stone, said: “It’s fantastic the university has recognised what we are trying to create.  Having an office on the university campus is hugely important to us; it gives us access to the insight of thousands of students and for the right brands that is very attractive.”

“As an employer of students and graduates I am well aware of how competitive it is in the job market, so we hope through Two Birds One Stone we can offer students paid opportunities whilst they study to develop skills, build a portfolio and make themselves more employable.”

Andrew Slade, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research and Enterprise at Leeds Met, said:

“Students are now being asked to pay considerably more for their education, so ventures like this go a long way to enhancing the student experience at Leeds Met and considerably increase the chances of employment after graduation.”

Audio Notetaker for Mac users is a note-taking tool that makes audio, rather than text, the basis of the user’s notes.  Audio Notetaker’s approach to note taking makes creating comprehensive notes from interviews, meetings, presentations and lectures a simple and time-efficient process, requiring very little user input.

The Audio Notetaker technology allows the user to display phrases from recorded speech as bars, allowing them to interact with the recording as if it were text. The ability to quickly annotate audio recordings with colour or words makes the need to transcribe entire recordings a thing of the past.

Roger Tucker, Managing Director of Sonocent, said: “With Apple’s emphasis on simplicity and ease of use, the Mac has always seemed a very appropriate platform for Audio Notetaker.

“We didn’t want to simply port the Windows version, but rather transfer the Audio Notetaker concept into the Mac way of doing things. It’s taken a long time to develop, but we think it will revolutionise the note taking technology industry and save users hours and hours of time.”

Audio Notetaker’s visualisation of audio makes it very easy to quickly work through a recording. Important phrases can be marked with colour, and bars can be formatted into sections and labeled with text and images allowing the user to easily reference key parts of the audio.

Claire Smith, a staff writer for a national sports magazine and a regular user of Audio Notetaker, said: “The solution literally revolutionised the way I work. The colour coding was a dream, it makes it so much easier to revisit the material. Not every interview gets run immediately so Audio Notetaker lets me go back to old stories for reference.”

Audio Notetaker works with both recordings imported from a digital recorder or computer, or by recording live straight into the software. The latter gives the advantage of being able to mark phrases as they are being said, without breaking up the flow of the interview, an extremely time saving measure.

As well as being used to record interviews and meetings the Audio Notetaker is a vital piece of technology for those who find note taking difficult. The new technology will not only be convenient but indispensible for international students or those with dyslexia, who struggle with note taking during lectures.

Andrew Campbell, a psychology student at the Open University stresses the importance of this technology:

“I used to come in the bottom of the class, but since using Audio Notetaker I have come in the top 3%. It is the most important piece of assistive technology software I have.”

The tool also has the ability to import Powerpoint slides or PDF files so that students can link their lecture slides, written notes and audio all together. Deleting bars will delete the corresponding audio, making it possible to condense long lectures down to the essentials.

Ghislain Mumbari, a student from Cameroon now studying in the UK, said “Audio Notetaker is truly amazing; it’s like you’re in class over and over again, but this time just getting the main points. I think my grades would have been vastly improved if I’d had the software earlier”

Audio Notetaker will be showcased at the British Educational Training and Technology Show (11-14 January 2012 at Olympia, London).

(We introduced the socialstudent list here, and updated and extended it in week two, week three, week four, week five, week six and week seven.)

The stats are taken directly from our UK PR student lists on Klout and PeerIndex and are up-to-date at 9pm on 5 January 2012:

Shoppers were invited to send their requests to the Bagel Nash Twitter and Facebook pages for the gospel singers to serenade them as they took a break from the hustle and bustle on Briggate and other areas of the city centre.

The choir were joined by members of staff from Bagel Nash who were re-fuelling shoppers with fresh salmon and cream cheese or turkey, stuffing and cranberry bagels. The vocalists visited four of the five Bagel Nash outlets in Leeds city centre including The Light, The Train Station, The Victoria Quarter and Thornton’s Arcade.

In addition to performing ‘White Christmas’, the Bagel Nash Christmas choir entertained crowds of shoppers on Saturday and Sunday with songs including ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’ and even pop classics like ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ by Steve Wonder and ‘Rolling in the Deep’ by Adele.

Sara Hildreth, retail operations director, said: “The Jukebox Choir proved to be a fantastic hit and really gave the Christmas shoppers in Leeds a weekend of fun! The public really got behind the event and we had hundreds of tweets and Facebook messages from people with their winter wishlist.”

Danielle McCarthy, a student from Leeds University, said: “I was doing my Christmas shopping with my boyfriend and he tweeted my favourite Christmas song, ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’, to the Bagel Nash page and to my surprise they sung it to us in The Light Shopping Centre. It was amazing! The Christmas bagel was the perfect complement too!”

Bagel Nash works with Two Birds One Stone, a youth marketing agency founded by two Leeds University graduates and a Leeds Metropolitan University undergraduate.

Ben Jennings, originally from Hemel Hempstead, was awarded the prize for his Gadaffi Treasure Map cartoon which was originally published in The Guardian in August 2011. Ben was presented the award by the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling MP.

Ben decided at age 15 that he wanted to pursue a career as a cartoonist and began selling caricatures at school to students and teachers alike. At 21, Ben’s work has appeared in the music newspaper The Stool Pigeon, The Guardian, The Morning Star and in the new year he will be providing a regular cartoon for the i newspaper after winning their ‘i cartoons’ competition.

Ben Jennings said: “I was astonished to win the ‘Political Cartoon of the Year’ award and being nominated alongside cartoonists I’ve followed for years such as Steve Bell and Martin Rowson was a true honour. The University of Westminster is a dynamic and creative university that has allowed me the freedom to pursue the areas I’m interested in.”

Sally Feldman, Dean of the School of Media, Arts & Design at the University of Westminster, said: “When Ben joined it was clear he had an exceptional talent and his ability to mix humour alongside serious political issues and produce one strong image really is incredible. We are all very proud of him and this latest achievement.”

We’re taking a three week break, returning with our first table of 2012 on 6 January. That means that you can take some time off with friends and family without worrying obsessively about your tweets or blog posts.

(We introduced the socialstudent list here, and updated and extended it in week two, week three, week four, week five and week six.)

The stats are taken directly from our UK PR student lists on Klout and PeerIndex.

PR students: tell us who you are and we’ll add you to the lists. Please note: this list is exclusive to PR students currently on full-time undergraduate or postgraduate courses in the UK.

Stats are up-to-date at 9am on 16 December 2011:

(We introduced the socialstudent list here, and updated and extended it in week two, week three, week four and week five.)

The stats are taken directly from our UK PR student lists on Klout and PeerIndex.

PR students: tell us who you are and we’ll add you to the lists. Please note: this list is exclusive to PR students currently on full-time undergraduate or postgraduate courses in the UK.

Stats are up-to-date at 8pm on 8 December 2011:

The ten entries judged the best will enjoy a sponsored supper, worth £65, after the Maggie Nally Lecture on January 19 2012. Explain in 50 words why it should be you.

The guest speaker will be Richard Gizbert, presenter of the weekly media programme, Listening Post, at Al Jazeera. He has been with Al Jazeera since 2006 and will be speaking about Western perceptions of Al Jazeera and media coverage of the Arab Spring.

The Maggie Nally Memorial Lecture was inaugurated in 2003 and the 2012 Lecture will be particularly special as it will be the 10th anniversary.

Entries will be judged against the following criteria:

• You must be enrolled on a CIPR-approved course and provide relevant details.
• You should apply by e-mail before 23 December stating, in 50 words, why they should be considered for a sponsored place.
• The case will be judged on the cogency of the argument and clarity of expression
• The style of the argument should be that of a ‘Sun Says’ leader column.
• The argument should be value-based – the value of the event and the value the student will bring to it. It should not be needs-based, for example the student’s inability to raise £65.

The offer is limited to the cost of the reception and buffet supper and no assistance is offered with any travel or accommodation.

Applications should be sent to Eva Maclaine mail@maclainecom.com with the subject heading: ‘Maggie Nally Memorial Lecture 2012.’ Please include any additional contact information that may be needed over the festive season/New Year. Successful applicants will be informed by email/phone by 9 January 2012.

About Maggie Nally

Maggie Nally, Hon FCIPR, was the first woman President of the (then) Institute of Public Relations and helped turn the Institute around at a difficult time in its development. She was a highly professional PR practitioner who remained active both in PR practice and as a Fellow of the Institute until her death at the age of 80, 10 years ago.

Patrick Nally, Maggie’s son, is an impassioned advocate of the role of education and is sponsoring ten places for PR students at the reception and buffet following the lecture. These will be awarded on application only and assessed by representatives of CIPR International Group and the Nally family.

Host for both the lecture and following reception is Lord (Tom) McNally. The lecture is free, though it is essential that anyone attending brings with them a Letter of Entry for the Palace of Westminster. The cost for the reception and buffet supper following the Lecture is £65.

The backers say the programme will provide an alternative but recognised path into an industry dominated by graduates. The qualifications that can be achieved through the scheme will be equivalent to a foundation degree. Up to 600 apprenticeship roles will be created over a three-year period.

Francis Ingham, chief executive of the PRCA, said: ‘The PR industry contributes £7.5 billion per year to the UK economy. It’s about time we had an apprenticeship scheme to ensure a steady stream of high calibre candidates for our industry.’

The apprenticeship is designed for young people who want to pursue a career in PR but do not wish to pursue a degree course. The aim is to attract a fresh and diverse audience, and it is hoped that the apprenticeships will begin by September next year.

John Hayes, UK Government skills minister, said: ‘The Government is putting apprenticeships on a level with academic study, enabling young people to gain degree level qualifications while earning a wage and learning a trade.’

Academic qualifications body Edexcel and the CfA, an apprenticeships framework company, will also be involved in the development of the programme.

It may be quite daunting and not the first thing on your list with assignment deadlines and the joy of Christmas, but it is certainly no old wives’ tale that the sooner you start to look the better.

To ease the pain of finding each scheme from the top PR agencies, Ben Cotton of Edelman PR, has listed all the schemes on his personal blog, Social Web Thing. The list is so useful we have decided to republish it in full here:

Babel PR
Open
Closes: 02 March 2012

Blue Rubicon
Closed

Burson-Marseller
Does not run a PR graduate scheme, but is open for internships all year round, many of which lead to permanent positions.

Chime Comms
Closed

Diffusion
Closed

Edelman – please note Edelman welcomes applicants from all backgrounds, both graduates and non-graduates.
Closed

Fishburn Hedges
Open
Closes: The deadline for the April 2012 intake is 12 December 2011 and the deadline for the September 2012 intake is 3 February 2012.

Fleishman-Hillard
Open
Operates a six month training scheme all year round. On completion of the Graduate Scheme the candidates performance will be reviewed and, if satisfactory, graduates will be considered for a permanent position.

Four Comms
Open: TBC

Hill & Knowlton
Closed

Hotwire Group (encompassing Hotwire and Skywrite)
Closed

Ketchum Pleon
Open
Closes: 30 March 2012

Lexis PR 
Closed

Speed Comms
Closed

(We introduced the socialstudent list here, and updated and extended it in week two, week three and week four.)

The stats are taken directly from our UK PR student lists on Klout and PeerIndex.

PR students: tell us who you are and we’ll add you to the lists. Please note: this list is exclusive to PR students currently on full-time undergraduate or postgraduate courses in the UK.

Stats are up-to-date at 9pm on 1 December 2011: