`Just give me someone who can hit the ground running`: an investigation into the job-ready public relations graduate

Public relations educators perform an academic and vocational balancing act. Employers demand graduates with developed vocational skills. In the meantime, academics strive to provide students with work skills as well as solid theoretical base, and to also address emerging issues. This paper uses a case study in Geelong, Victoria to examine what Australian regional employers see as desirable attributes in public relations graduates. It then explores how educators address the needs of the employers as well as the needs of the public relations profession.