Getting accredited as a Coach
As the coaching profession is not regulated at present, there is no official requirement for coaches to become accredited. However, many coaches do choose to obtain independently accredited training and to go on to become accredited coaches. The key reasons that coaches choose to get accredited are to establish their professional credentials and to differentiate themselves.
In the UK at present there are 2 key independent bodies offering accreditation. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) and The European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC).
The ICF, founded in 1992, has more than 9,500 members in 70 countries and over 132 chapters in 34 countries. It is the largest not-for-profit professional association for coaches and is committed to building, supporting and preserving the integrity of the coaching profession. CTI supports the ICF because it has become a recognised leader in the industry by establishing an independent credentialling programme that now offers coaching credentials that are recognized worldwide.
Their credentialling programme focuses on creating excellent hands-on coaches who are skilled in the 'being' and 'doing' of coaching in way that no other association to date has been able to match.
The table below details the coach-specific training and experience individuals need to be able to demonstrate to apply for credentialling with The ICF.
| ICF Credential | Minimum Requirements for Coach-Specific Training | Minimum Requirements for Coaching Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Certified Coach (ACC)® | 60 hours | 100 hours |
| Professional Certified Coach (PCC)® | 125 hours | 750 hours |
| Master Certified Coach (MCC)® | 200 hours | 2500 hours |
To find out more please visit their website www.coachfederation.org. There are easy to follow steps and lots of hot links to make it easy to find all the information you need on how to prepare for ICF credentialling. Alternatively, if you train with CTI, or are already a CTI graduate, then you might like to consider taking our Certification programme which satisfies the training requirements for the ICF credential.
