Launched in 2017, the mentorship and skills development initiative PYJ has formed a new alumni committee after participating in 2017's judging of the industry’s leading campaigns alongside senior judges.

Palesa Madumo, PYJ founder and co-convenor of the PRISM Awards, says this initiative is vital to the sustainability of the industry. "Experienced industry players should recognise the important role they play in the nurturing and development of the future leaders of this profession," says Madumo.

"This opportunity allows the top 10 candidates to engage closely with industry leaders and to also share their perspective on campaigns that are often youth-focussed," adds Madumo.

Young judges will be paired with senior industry professionals who will mentor them and, as part of the diverse youth-led committee, they will also benefit from peer-to-peer training.

Newly elected PYJ committee chairperson Khangelani Dziba says the experience of judging the awards this year has highlighted the importance of understanding the industry holistically.

"Going through the judging process has opened our minds to the dynamics required for successful campaigns from start to end, and we’ve learned valuable useful skills for our careers. We’re excited for the next group of judges to experience the same," Dziba says.

One of the 10 young judge slots will be awarded to a final-year student entrant studying PR or communications. 

Entrants for PYJ need to:
  • Be between the ages of 21 and 30
  • Have at least two years of experience in the PR and communication environment, be actively involved in the industry in one way or another or be a final-year student studying PR or communication 
  • Reside in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal or the Cape
  • Write 500 words on why they should be selected or send a minute-long video version to [email protected]
  • Tweet about their entry by tagging and following @PRISMYoungJudges and using the hashtags #PRISMYoungJudges and #PRISMAwards19
Entries close on Friday, 15 February 2019 at midnight.

For more information, visit www.prism-awards.co.za or www.prisa.co.za. Join the conversation by using the #PRISMAwards19 hashtag.