Chicago-area training program helps adults with disabilities find full-time careers

HILLSIDE, Ill. - For Ella, a full-time job meant much more than a paycheck.

It meant moving into her own condo, earning health insurance, building financial independence and creating the future she'd been working toward for years.

"I'm making my own way," she said.

Aspire helps adults build meaningful careers

Ella is one of the graduates of Aspire's workforce training program in Hillside, where adults with disabilities receive hands-on training for careers in high-demand industries such as logistics and distribution.

Inside Aspire's training center, participants spend 18 weeks preparing for the workforce. The first 10 weeks take place in a simulated warehouse designed to mirror a real distribution center, where trainees learn everything from operating equipment and workplace safety to communication and other job-ready skills. The program concludes with an eight-week paid internship at one of Aspire's corporate partners.

Aspire leaders say the goal is to help participants build meaningful careers while addressing workforce shortages across the Chicago area.

"We’re training people not for a job interview, but truly for a career," said Aspire CEO Serena Alaily. "Ella went from someone who was really struggling to find full time work, which is common in our industry. That means no health insurance. No ability to move out of mom and dad’s house. With this full time job she was not only able to do that, but she’s bought her first condo."

For Ella, the training paid off almost immediately. She now works full-time at Parts Town in Addison, where she prepares products for shipment in the company's distribution operation.

She says the hands-on experience at Aspire made her transition into the workplace much easier.

July is Disability Pride Month and Aspire hopes stories like Ella's encourage more employers to recognize the value adults with disabilities bring to the workforce.

The nonprofit says its training model benefits both graduates and employers by preparing participants for meaningful careers while helping businesses fill critical workforce needs with trained, dependable employees.

Aspire also offers community living, educational programs and employment services for adults with disabilities throughout the Chicago area.

What you can do:

For more information about Aspire's workforce training programs or available services, visit Aspire Chicago's website.

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