CCE - Center for Coaching Excellence

I am sure you are aware that the demand for skilled coaching in increasing. This is good news. The demand for certification is also growing. This is also good news, as certification adds credibility—not just to you as a certified coach but also to the coaching profession at large.

The Sherpa 2010 study found that opinions around certification are becoming better defined among HR professionals. Last year, they were asked “Who is most qualified to certify a training program?” 72% choose “no opinion.” This year, Sherpa added an option for those who do not think certification is necessary. This year, HR pros who have no opinion fell to 50%, while only 10% say certification is not necessary. This means that one in eight HR professionals have formed an opinion since last year. Sherpa stated that University-based training and ICF (International Coach Federation)-accredited programs enjoy equal favor, with both near 20%. The Worldwide Association of Business Coaches drew a rating of 6%.

Now let’s take a closer look at how the benefits of professional coach certification can affect you:

Your professional coach certification is an important step in personal and professional development. Being a certified coach means that you have invested significant time and effort into ensuring that you adhere to commonly accepted standards for the coaching profession. You are not simply “hanging out a shingle” and calling yourself a coach. You are a professional and have undergone rigorous training and practice in the art and science of coaching. And you have been recognized as having done so by your peers, leaders in the coaching profession.

Your certification is additional assurance for your clients that you are a trained coach, and you have met the requirements to earn an endorsement from a credible training organization. Certification says that you are serious about your profession, and that your clients can expect an excellent experience with you.

Your certification strongly supports the coaching movement, as you are contributing to the standardization and stability of a young profession. Certification shows that you value connection and accountability, and that you are willing to submit yourself to the scrutiny of a self-regulating profession. For onlookers (those who are either interested or critical), the more coaches who become certified, the more our profession is taken seriously.

The vision of CCE from its inception was to provide the finest coach training possible and to provide coach certification. A key step for accomplishing both of these goals was aligning our training standards with ICF requirements. Founded in 1995, the International Coach Federation (ICF) is the leading global organization dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high standards, providing independent certification, and building a worldwide network of credentialed coaches. With more than 13,500 professional personal and business coaches representing over 90 countries, the ICF is the voice of the global coaching profession.

Aligning our training standards with ICF gives you confidence that we uphold the highest standards in training and certification and also enables you to apply with the ICF for the appropriate level of certification through their portfolio process.

The Center for Coaching Excellence offers four levels of certification to coaches who have been trained in CCE’s training courses:

ALC - Associate Leadership (or Life) Coach

CLC – Certified Leadership (or Life) Coach

PCC – Professional Certified Coach

MCC – Master Certified Coach

(Our faith-based trainees may request Christian in their certification title)

Now let’s consider the certifications provided by ICF. The full list of requirements can be found here; this article is just a bird’s eye view of the first two (of three) levels in ICF coach certification:

ICF Coach Certification at the Associate Certified Coach Level (Portfolio)

1.  60 hours of documented coach-specific training

2.  Direct interaction with a trainer (voice-to-voice or in-person; not cyber courses, mail-in courses, or self-study)

3.  Two reference letters from certified coaches

4.  100 hours of coaching/8 clients/75 paid hours

5.  10 hours’ mentor coaching from an ICF PCC coach

6.  Demonstrates competency in the live oral exam

7.  CEU requirements of 40 units every three years; 10 hours of mentor coaching

8.  Application - $225 ICF Members and $425 nonmembers; $75 exam fee

ICF Coach Certification at the Professional Certified Coach Level (Portfolio)

1.  125 hours of documented coach-specific training

2.  Direct interaction with a trainer (voice-to-voice or in-person; not cyber courses, mail-in courses, or self-study)

3.  Two reference letters from certified coaches

4.  Five reference letters from current clients

5.  Two PCC coaching observations

6.  750 hours of coaching/25 clients/675 paid hours

7.  Demonstrates competency in the written and live oral exam, and recorded session

8.  10 hours mentor coaching from an ICF PCC coach

9.  CEU requirements of 30 units every two years

10. Application - $425 ICF Member and $625 for nonmember; $150 exam fee

Make plans now to pursue your own certification.

Supporting your credibility,

Mary Verstraete, CEO