A survey of practising communicators found that crisis management and public affairs suffer from the largest skills gap, with 44% of respondents identifying a lack of knowledge in these areas.

Measurement and digital communication/social media ranked second and third place respectively. However, digital communication remains the skills gap that respondents would most like to address in the coming 12 months. This despite the fact that 26% of respondents don’t believe that their employer takes a planned approach to digital communication.

Public relations qualifications specialist, PR Academy, carried out the Trends Survey 2016. The survey of PR Academy students – the majority of whom work in-house – looks at general trends affecting the communications industry, with a particular focus on skills and learning.

Almost two thirds of respondents find it a challenge to influence senior managers or clients around the value of PR. PR Academy asserts that this challenge could be due, in part, to the lack of skills surrounding PR measurement.

On a more positive note, 85% of respondents claim that a professional qualification has led to career progression, or they are confident that it will in the future. Additionally, the number of respondents who have had funding for qualifications made available through their employer has risen from 65% to 79% in the past six years.