What Does a PA Do?
A personal assistant (PA) carries out administrative tasks on behalf of a senior-level individual, typically a manager or executive.
A PA’s responsibilities typically include timekeeping, booking travel arrangements, and organising meetings and appointments. By completing these tasks effectively, a PA enables quick and accurate decision-making at the highest level.
Explore Our PA Courses
General Office Skills Courses
Microsoft Office Specialist – Expert Certification Award
This award offers the opportunity to study three core Microsoft Office programs - PowerPoint or Outlook, Word or Word Expert and Excel or Excel Expert.…
AwardPA Courses
Executive PA Seminar
This seminar is run on a one or two-day basis and takes an in-depth look at the role of the Executive PA and the importance…
SeminarPA Courses
Meetings and Minutes Seminar
This one-day tutor-led seminar is one of our most popular seminars ideal for anyone involved in organising meetings and taking notes at those meetings. You'll…
How Do I Become a Personal Assistant?
While no formal personal assistant training is typically required, employers expect candidates to have strong PA skills, including proficiency in office organisation , communication and IT.
With Pitman Training’s comprehensive range of PA courses, you learn all the essentials to becoming a personal assistant. You’re also able to work towards any of our PA qualifications at your own pace, either at home with a PA course online or in one of our learning centres.
Why Study PA Courses With Pitman Training?
- A highly respected training provider, Pitman Training personal assistant course instantly enhances your CV.
- Our personal assistant courses online cover everything from the basics of working as a virtual assistant to the managerial side of becoming a PA.
- You can combine our online PA courses with a related Pitman Training course to further improve your employability. Personal Assistant training pairs well with Microsoft Office and speedwriting courses.
- Courses run all year long across the UK in our executive PA course centres. Prefer to learn PA skills at home? All personal assistant courses are available online, too.
- All our Pitman PA courses are CPD-accredited, earning you valuable CPD points that are highly regarded among employers.
- Study personal assistant courses online at your own pace. Whether it is full-time or part-time, Pitman’s PA training fits your schedule.
- Whether you’re training for PA courses online or at one of our training centres, you can always count on the support of our course advisors, who guide and support your entire learning journey with Pitman.
Careers Using PA Skills
- The average UK salary for a personal assistant is ~€25,000, with entry-level roles earning ~€19,000. An experienced PA can earn €37,000+.
- Those with PA training are highly valued in many sectors. This provides plenty of career opportunities across a wide range of industries for trainees.
- Graduates can also use their executive assistant course qualifications to enhance their CV for other administerial jobs. Legal secretaries and medical secretaries, for example, both benefit from strong PA skills.
Pitman PA Courses Available
With Pitman Training, you can study a diverse range of PA courses, diplomas and seminars – all essential training for PA candidates.
Our Executive PA diploma provides that all-important first step towards becoming an executive PA, covering event management and effective business communication. If you’d prefer to pursue a career from home, there’s also our VA Essentials course, which offers an overview of how to become a virtual assistant.
Not got enough time to commit to our diplomas or executive PA courses? Our Executive PA seminar offers an overview of how to progress your career as a personal assistant, giving a bite-sized version of our other personal assistant courses online.
You don’t need any additional software or reading materials to get going with your chosen PA course online. All you need to do is log in to your myPitman account, and you can start studying your executive assistant course immediately.
And if you get stuck at any point, our course advisors are always on hand to help you progress through your PA training courses.
Whichever PA training you choose, you can take it either online or in-centre, our experienced course advisors are with you every step of the way. Just get in touch for a free, friendly career consultation with our training experts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Tutor-Led Training Seminar a Better Way for You to Learn?
Absolutely, tutor-led seminars, commonly known as instructor-led training sessions, offer an engaging and interactive approach to learning. Led by seasoned professionals, these sessions ensure a deeper understanding of the subject matter, providing immediate feedback and personalized attention. Whether it’s employee training or corporate skill development, these instructor-led sessions encourage direct interaction, fostering an environment conducive to active learning. At Pitman Training, our extensive collection of tutor-led training videos combines the flexibility of online learning with the live guidance of expert instructors.
Are the Courses Approved?
Yes our courses are accredited by awarding bodies and accepted by all employers.
When Do the Courses Start?
We have monthly intakes for every course, please enquire to find out more.
I Work Nights, Can I Study Part-Time?
Yes, we recommend all our students allocate 8 to 10 hours per week. All our courses take up to 3 months to complete and our diplomas take up to 1 year.
Who Will Train Me?
Some of our certifications are studied online using our interactive platform and some of our diplomas are conducted via online seminars.
Do I Study Online or at a Training Centre?
We offer a blended learning approach. Our courses and diplomas can be studied remotely from the comfort of your own home. You also have the option to also study in our centers if you prefer face-to-face learning.
If I Fail an Exam?
One re-sit is provided for our courses. However, we have a very high pass rates in completing the assessments.
Can I Pay back Over a Period of Time?
Yes, we offer various payment plans up to 36 months to help split the cost over a manageable period of time.
What Is the Cost?
Our costs vary for our courses and diplomas and start from as little as €20 per month over a 36-month payment plan period. Fill in the form to find out more.
Finance Options
Wherever possible our training is tailored to your needs. The cost of our training programmes depend on the course(s) you choose and varies according to duration and breadth. Rest assured we have a number of payment options available to ensure the cost of training is affordable and can be worked alongside your other financial commitments. Common ways people fund their training include: –
Self-Funded:
- Flexible payment plans to help you spread the cost* available at many of our centres;
- You could opt to pay upfront.
Company Funded:
Requesting funding from your employers needn’t be a daunting task. Many employers support and encourage their employees with their professional development and consider it a worthwhile investment to fund any training required.
What we can help with:
- Providing a comprehensive training programme outlining learning outcomes
- Tailored personnel letters
- Communication with finance departments to arrange payment options (upfront or payment plan*).
Funding & Grants:
There may be the opportunity to apply for funded grants that can help towards the cost of training. All schemes will have different terms and conditions that will need to be met in order to qualify for a grant and these are managed by each individual centre.
We’d recommend you speak to a Course Advisor in your local centre to find out whether they are registered to offer any such schemes and discuss your requirements further.
* Terms and Conditions apply. Speak to a Course Advisor for full information on the options available to you.
Career Path
A great diploma that can help open the doors to a variety of careers thanks to its unique tailor-made set up. You could work towards any number of office administration type careers in roles such as Medical Secretary, Legal Secretary, PA, EA or Office Manager. Alternatively, you could utilise the skills gained to kick-start a rewarding career in an accounting role with positions such as Bookkeeper, Accounts Assistant or Finance Assistant.
Related Office & Secretarial Categories
Our office skills training courses will give you high quality skills that employers actively seek out in their employees. Our training is all practical and enables you to build confidence alongside ability.
We have a variety of legal secretarial training courses available to study, some of which have been accredited by CILEx (the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives). Take a look at the full range.
Gain the niche skillset and understanding required to work in Medical Administration roles as well as top level, professional office administration skills.
We hold a standout reputation for the quality of our secretarial training courses. We can help you gain the professional, practical skills that will help you impress employers.
Shorthand remains a valuable skill for anyone working in an office administration position. It can save time and effort as well as enhance your efficiency when taking notes on the ‘hoof’.
Increase your speed and accuracy with our suite of touch-typing training courses. With courses suitable from beginner, intermediate through to expert level where you could hit speeds up to 60 wpm (words per minute)!
