Health-focused PR agency Palin Communications has set its sights on the UK as a possible solution to the communications skills shortage in Australia, seeking to attract new talent from abroad by ramping up its British Sponsorship Program.
Palin Communications, a health PR agency based in Sydney, has a long history of sponsoring overseas communications professionals from the USA, the UK, Canada and elsewhere.
Health PR agencies are in high demand following the emergence of COVID-19 which has triggered new communications challenges and elevated the importance of internal and external communications for medical companies. However, the Australian talent pool has not kept pace with demand.
According to Martin Palin, managing director of Palin Communications, it’s an industry-wide issue but the agency is determined to find its own solution.
“We’ve helped several consultants from overseas go on to long term visas and eventually to permanent residency. The Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) is currently lobbying the Australian government to make that easier in the future. So, we feel the timing is good – especially as international travel and visa entries have opened back up again,” said Palin.
PRIA President, Shane Allison, recently spoke to the Australian Financial Review about the domestic supply of communication professionals in Australia and how it could not “keep up with the shift in demand from corporate Australia, non-profits and government.”
Palin added that it’s a win/win if talented British consultants can be enticed to move to Sydney to progress their career.
“Consultants get an unparalleled experience of living in this beautiful country, and the agency gets to tap into a new, diverse pool of talent. Apart from all the career progress benefits, Sydney is a fantastic place to work, and enjoy life, so for the right person this program represents a fantastic, attainable opportunity.”
The Palin Communications British Sponsorship Program offers business visa sponsorship, immigration guidance, assistance with travel costs, a flexible start date, hybrid working arrangements and the opportunity to work on across a diverse health-focused portfolio.
“Our team is built around our shared values of trust and accountability. Not only do we thrive on working with each other, we get to work on amazing projects in cancer, infectious diseases, public health campaigns and issues management. It’s going to be a great move for the right person,” Palin concluded.
