Letters: Getting a job after college; returning for a diploma

ISSUE | COLLEGE

Internships are key

College students consider internships and practical experience more important than courses or student jobs for getting prepared for the workplace, according to a Stockton University poll ("Graduates want job experience," April 1). Campus Philly, a nonprofit that helps college students discover opportunities so that they stay in the Philadelphia area after graduation, is partners with Stockton and 33 other regional colleges and universities and confirms the poll's findings.

In the Philadelphia area,

81 percent of students report having internships. Nationally, it's 61 percent, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Campus Philly has promoted internships for 12 years. Our internship platform, at www.campusphilly.org/careers, is free for employers and students. Events such as our Geek's Guide to Philadelphia, on April 18, help students meet employers and learn about the area's thriving industries.

|Deborah Diamond, president, Campus Philly, Philadelphia

Go back for diploma

Going back to college while working, raising a family, and managing the challenges of adult life can be daunting ("Back to School," Sunday), but help is available.

Since 2008, Graduate Philadelphia has provided free advisory services to adults in our region who have some college credit and want to finish a degree. We help students find the right college and program to fit their needs, get credit for work and life experience, find money to finance their education, and connect career and college goals. We support students to and through degree completion.

It's never too late to be a "comebacker." Graduate Philadelphia can be reached at 215-498-1504 or advisor@graduatephiladelphia.org.

|Barbara Mattleman, executive director, Graduate Philadelphia, Philadelphia