The New ICF Accreditations and what they mean

You may well have seen some changes to our coaching credentials at Optimus Coach Academy: this represents wider changes with the International Coaching Federation.

To simplify we thought we would go through them.

Background

The International Coaching Federation is the Gold Standard for professional coaches around the world and since its foundation in 1995 the ICF has been a crucial element in the industry for providing formal accreditation to coaches.?

As a provider of coach training, Optimus has to continually ensure that our training meets the ICF’s high standards.

As of 1st January, 2022, the ICF have updated the naming credentials of their professional coaching accreditations. An ICF Credential is a professional certification demonstrating that you have reached a specific level and standard of coach training (the updating process continues until 31st December 2022)

Why Have The ICF Changed The Names Of Their Credentials??

The reason for the name changes to the ICF credentials is simple - to make the whole accreditation process much clearer and easier to understand for both new coaches and existing coaches.? In the new system, the name of the training accreditations will match the level of the accreditation the coach applies for:

Level 1? accreditation ( replaces the previous ACSTH) will be for Associate Certified Coach (ACC) applications. The great thing about this new accreditation level is that the providers now do the 10 hours of mentoring and performance evaluation which means that this is a direct route to accreditation, the previous ACSTH required people to add in mentoring and performance evaluation independently adding in an extra cost and also meaning many people found it harder to get accredited.

Associate Certified Coach (ACC)?

• Complete 60 hours of coach specific training and education?
• 100 hours minimum of client coaching experience
• Being mentored by an experienced coach for additional feedback and guidance?
• A coaching style and approach aligned with what the ICF expects of ACC coaches

Level 2? accreditation (replaces the previous ACTP) will be for both ACC and Professional Certified Coach (PCC) applications.?

Professional Certified Coach (PCC)??

• Complete 125 hours of coach specific training and education?
• 500 hours minimum of client coaching experience
• 10 hours of Mentoring from an accredited coach,
• A coaching style and approach aligned with what the ICF expects of PCC coaches.

Level 3 training accreditation will be created for Master Certified Coach (MCC) applicants

What does this mean to you?

Despite these changes to the ICF’s credentials, nothing changes from our perspective. We continue to be a best in class training provider, supporting you through the use of evidence based training, mentoring, and professional assessment to AAC or PCC level.?

In providing both Level 1 and Level 2 accreditation you have the opportunity to start your training at Level 1 and then continue your education and coaching development to Level 2 all in the same organisation: if you choose to do this you will do a Level 2 upgrade and won't be charged the full Level 2 amount. This is useful if you are wanting to spread the cost of doing the qualifications.

To make it simple we call our qualifications after the highest level you can achieve with that individual training:

Associate Coach Diploma is at Level 1 (ACC level)

Professional Coach Diploma is at Level 2 (PCC level)?

Want to find out more - visit our website here?https://www.optimuscoachacademy.com/