The Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) has collaborated with JobTarget to launch PR Central, the first online bespoke job board that specialises in public relations and communication jobs in Australia.

PR Central went live yesterday as a hub for all industry vacancies, giving candidates the ability to post an anonymous resume and create new job alerts, as a way of announcing their availability in the marketplace.

Employers can post a job, internship or freelance advert, or browse the resume bank to find the right candidate. Organisations can also post tenders to a refined audience, which includes access to Australia’s 100-plus leading consultancies and the wider PR market.

Leila Henderson, PRIA South Australian president said, “PR Central offers a range of project-based, part-time and full-time positions, which will give greater flexibility and opportunity to those looking to get back into the workforce.”

PRIA national president Mike Watson said that PR Central addresses a number of key areas currently affecting membership.

“Our regional members have requested more support in non-metropolitan areas, and PR Central is just the start of that ongoing support,” Watson said. “We are a national body, and it doesn’t matter if you are part of our many councils across the country, or a professional communicator based in Sydney, Mildura, Broome or Alice Springs, we are finding solutions to support our members.”

Birgit Schonafinger, director of Fishbowl PR, who beta-tested the site, said the job board would be a great resource for consultancies.

“Consultancies often look for freelance help from the many sole operators out there,” Schonafinger said. “It’s a great way to offer work that can be carried out remotely to a qualified pool of providers.”

Watson said the decision to collaborate with JobTarget was an easy one.

“To establish the new facility, PRIA collaborated with JobTarget, a world leader in the provision of job boards, with 1,300 associations already using the product,” he said.

“After reviewing the data behind other associations using the product, referencing the influence it has had in countries like the USA and on other industries here at home, it was important to introduce the product to the Australian PR market. This is a finely targeted recruitment tool compared to commercial providers such as SEEK, and the return on investment is clear.”