University of Phoenix Renews Commitment to Student Success with Focus on Connecting Higher Education and Employment

PHOENIX, Oct. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Unemployment continues to be a huge problem in the U.S. despite there being more than 3 million available jobs open and unfilled in America today. To help bridge the gap between education and employment, University of Phoenix® is introducing a variety of new tools, services and resources aimed at helping students receive the education and skills required to help fill the roles that companies need most. The movement is anchored by the new Let's get to work^SM national advertising and marketing campaign that launched on Sept. 23.

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"University of Phoenix is committed to serving the best interests of its students and giving them the tools and resources to not only graduate in their chosen course of study, but also help prepare them for and link them to jobs after graduation. We are going to do this by bringing the career planning conversation forward, starting with pre-enrollment conversations," said Dr. Bill Pepicello, president of University of Phoenix. "We are hoping to shift the conversation to the natural link between 'a quality education' and 'a fulfilling and challenging career.' We're excited that University of Phoenix is leading the effort."

The Let's get to work campaign focuses on the link between a quality education and a fulfilling and challenging career. Tony Award-winning actress and singer Phylicia Rashad is the voice of the University in the new advertisements, which will engage consumers through multiple media channels including TV, radio, outdoor, online and social.

"For the new campaign, it became clear that the conversation around higher education needed to change, to focus on a critical issue to students and alumni, and that is jobs," said Arra Yerganian, chief marketing officer for University of Phoenix. "With more than 750,000 alumni and more than 300,000 students, plus nearly 30,000 faculty, the University feels it can leverage its scale to impact this important issue facing America."

The new campaign is just the beginning of how the University is helping to address the jobs problem. New enhancements to the student experience will roll out in the coming months, including programs to address the cost of higher education, as well as a proprietary user experience to help students align their current skills, interests and career aspirations with an appropriate University of Phoenix degree program and then with employers looking to hire the University's students and graduates. University of Phoenix is committed to serving the best interest of its students and is implementing several initiatives including:

• Phoenix Career Services^SM: A comprehensive program that incorporates support services and online tools that help prepare students and alumni to achieve their career aspirations, from pre-enrollment to graduation, in a highly personalized way. The integrated suite of career tools and resources offers guidance, workshops, events and engagement with advisors. Students and alumni will be able to search careers by degree type, geographical areas and skill set, as well as research employers, salaries, and hiring trends. These valuable services become part of a customized Career Plan for students that shows them step-by-step what they need to do to enhance their careers, and when. Another key feature of Phoenix Career Services is the ability to offer students and alumni connections to partner companies with thousands of job opportunities posted to the online recruitment environment. Phoenix Career Services is already in use by nearly 50 percent of University of Phoenix students and more than 60 employers.
• Online Learning Platform: The new, advanced classroom platform creates a more engaging and personalized experience for students and faculty. Among other technologies and innovations, it will feature a proprietary data platform, which analyzes student activity, making the learning experience more efficient and customized over time.
• Corporate Partners: University of Phoenix is working with a number of the nation's largest organizations, such as Walmart and Sodexo, to hire qualified graduates as well as collaborates with corporations and industry associations on curriculum to best prepare students for successful careers. Recently, the University worked with The Manufacturing Institute to develop curriculum relevant to today's manufacturing workforce that focuses on core skills and competencies required for those who want careers in the manufacturing industry.
• Affordability Programs: The University will be implementing comprehensive programs to help students address the rising cost of higher education. The University's goal is to make education as affordable as possible and provide students with unmatched return on their educational investment by focusing on the career linkage throughout their educational journey.

To learn more about University of Phoenix's efforts to bridge the education and job gap, visit http://www.phoenix.edu.

About University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix is constantly innovating to help students balance education and life in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, challenging courses and interactive learning can help students pursue personal and career aspirations without putting their lives on hold. As the flagship university of  Apollo Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: APOL), University of Phoenix serves a diverse student population, offering associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S. as well as online throughout the world. For more information, visit http://www.phoenix.edu.

SOURCE University of Phoenix