Starting later this year, Illinois Personal Assistants will be able to attend voluntary paid trainings geared towards increasing our skills as caregivers.

PAs won $2 million to be budgeted for Personal Assistant training in our Union contract. PAs are filling out surveys that seek to determine skills PAs want training on, such as:

• How to get work as a PA & interviewing tips
• Nutrition and meal planning and preparation
• GED preparation and computer basics

“We made paid training a bargaining issue. We want to be able to offer the highest level of quality care possible. This victory shows our membership what we can do when we stand together. This is a win for us and our consumers.”

– Gilda Brown, Personal Assistant, Chicago