Note this senior PR consultant’s observations on the skills and qualities expected of graduates. ‘Though plentiful, finding qualified early-career candidates to meet the on-the-ground challenge of delivering great client service remains puzzlingly difficult.’
Above all, his comments on the importance of writing skills are valid and well made.
The long-term decline in writing skills continues, while the demand from clients is as high as ever. I am not the first person to bemoan this trend so I’ll just add two points to the ongoing dialogue. First, good writing is honed over a lifetime. It cannot be learned in college alone. It cannot be learned after embarking on a PR career. Second, reading and writing are mirror skills. To write well, you must read and read large volumes of the best writing. Few read enough and read enough of quality to become good writers.
PR Studies 
That’s so unbelievably true.
When we hosted several professionals before the end of the semester, someone asked what was qualities they look for in a candidate. The answer from all of them was, “the ability to write” repeated several times in between other qualities. Yes, you can become a better writer in college with time, practice, and the red-penned wrath of your professors, but I agree it is a skill you can’t just decide you want or need to excel at because it’s getting close to graduation and you’re going to need a job.
Another thing suggested by the professionals was to “read anything you can get your hands on.” People surely miss the boat on that one, whether in PR or not.