GOLD STANDARD

THE GOLD STANDARD A formal qualification for all your staff The PMA Gold Standard is playing a core part in staff training needs. It gives staff a rigorous vocational qualification. It will help editors, line managers or account directors when carrying out appraisals, and proves invaluable to HR departments when monitoring career development. Ultimately, it has a key role in improving staff retention. The qualification is available for publishing, PR, government departments, internal communications and the professions. There are eight areas so far: Consumer journalism Business journalism Internal commuications Online publishing Public relations Specialist consumer journalism Public sector communications Sales and marketing How does it work? We create a customised portfolio for your staff, showing areas where they must prove they can achieve competent work on a consistent basis. The emphasis is on producing quality work as part of a normal working day. This is a practical, vocational qualification with exams in areas such as proof-reading. How is the work assessed? The portfolio is compiled in sections. At our regular one-to-one coaching days, candidates can get sections “signed off”, or learn where they still have to create further work of an acceptable standard. You can sit the exams at these sessions. Are there exams? Yes. Though the essence of the qualification is work-based, certain competencies cannot easily be shown from compiled material. The bulk of the portfolio, however, has no formal testing. You work with a mentor and your PMA coach. What external training will my staff need to do? This depends entirely on how much support and guidance the candidate’s workplace provides. In specialist areas such as law, there may need to be some external training. But it is not compulsory, and you can complete the programme without the need for any external training at all. We offer a special 20% discount package on all our courses to Gold Standard candidates. What does it cost? The Gold Standard portfolio includes all documentation and our online service notifying you of updates, special offers and coaching days. This costs £300. Each individual tutorial session costs £150. Law and grammar skills cost £30, while others are free.