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 workSM 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 workcampaign 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:

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. (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.

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