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Updated:
October 17, 2024
Written By:
Liz Robson
In today's fast-paced world, young people face unique challenges that require a special kind of support and encouragement. Becoming a Certified Youth Life Coach not only offers you the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on young lives but also opens doors to a fulfilling and dynamic career. If you're an aspiring coach, educator, or youth worker looking to hone your skills in this rewarding field, this guide will walk you through the essential steps to becoming certified and starting your journey to coaching young people.
A Certified Youth Life Coach is a professional equipped with the skills and knowledge to support young people in developing personal resources, skills, and abilities that enhance their overall wellbeing and resilience. Coaches work on a variety of topics such as self-awareness, confidence, communication skills, and problem-solving. They provide tailored strategies and reassurance through one-on-one sessions, group programmes, or workshops, often funded by educational, youth settings, commissioners or privately by parents.
Before you begin formal training, it's crucial to have experience in building relationships and working with young people. Volunteering at youth centres, schools, or community organisations can offer valuable insights into the unique challenges faced by the youth, and help you develop rapport and understanding—a fundamental aspect of effective coaching.
Enrolling in a recognised coaching training course is essential, for example, our Coach Certification programme is accredited by the Association for Coaching and ACCPH. Such programmes focus on the skills necessary for effective youth coaching, including communication and interpersonal skills, positive psychology interventions, and emotional intelligence. Look for accredited courses that align with your values and approach to coaching. For instance, the Worth-it Coach Training Course offers comprehensive training tailored to coaching young people.
To coach effectively, you must have a deep understanding of the unique challenges and needs faced by young people. Adolescence is a crucial period of development, and coaches need to be aware of the physical, emotional, and cognitive changes that occur during this time. Additionally, being knowledgeable about mental health issues commonly faced by adolescents can help you understand where coaching can offer the right support at the right time.
As with any profession, experience is vital in building confidence and honing your skills as a youth life coach. Look for opportunities to work with young clients under supervision or through internships offered by coaching programmes. These experiences will not only give you practical experience but also allow you to receive feedback
Developing your ethical practice is a non-negotiable aspect of youth coaching. It involves maintaining professionalism, confidentiality, and integrity while working with young people. Understanding safeguarding measures is also crucial. This includes recognising signs of abuse or neglect and knowing how to respond appropriately using safeguarding processes and procedures. Many training programs incorporate these elements into their curriculum to ensure coaches are well-prepared.
Working with young people requires clear boundaries to maintain a professional and effective coaching relationship. This involves setting and communicating limits, managing expectations, and ensuring both the coach's and client's safety and wellbeing. Training programms such as ours often include modules on managing boundaries, offering practical strategies and role-play sessions to build competence in this area.
Collaboration with other professionals, such as teachers, social workers, and mental health practitioners, is a vital aspect of youth coaching. Understanding how to work within a multi-agency framework allows you to provide comprehensive support and access additional resources for your clients. Seek opportunities to build networks and learn from other professionals in related fields, this can help you identify the best ways to offer coaching services to meet young people's needs
Youth life coaches often play a critical role in early intervention, helping young people address issues before they escalate. This proactive approach requires an understanding of developmental psychology and the ability to identify potential problems early on. Continuous professional development and staying informed about the latest research are key to excelling in this area.
While not mandatory, obtaining accreditation from a recognised professional body like the Association for Coaching (AC) or the International Coach Federation (ICF) enhances your credibility and demonstrates your commitment to high standards. Accreditation often involves completing a set number of coaching hours, continuous professional development, and adherence to a code of ethics. Joining our Worth-it Certified Coaching programme trains and supports you to become an accredited coach, with two accrediting bodies the Association for Coaching and the ACCPH.
Training to be a certified youth coach takes a considerable time and financial investment so you must choose the programme and training that is right for you.
Training for youth life coaches varies depending on the provider and the scope of the programme. Generally, courses cover core coaching skills, ethical practices, and specialised modules on topics relevant to youth coaching. Look for programmes that offer practical experience, such as supervised coaching sessions and peer feedback, to gain confidence and real-world skills.
You might want to choose an in-person course if you prefer face-to-face training, or a more accessible online provision might suit you better if you want to learn in bite-size chunks. If you prefer to be trained face to face, do you have the capacity to take time out for this, or would it be better to purchase online training you can dip in and out of whenever you need it? Thinking about your preferred learning style will help you narrow down your course choice.
It's also important to consider how much practical coaching practice is covered in the course, coaching is an applied practice so you must get the opportunity to practice your coaching skills as part of any training you sign up for.
If you are planning to integrate coaching into your current role, school or organisation also consider what approach suits your school, setting or situation the most. Think about how much experience working with schools the provider has and whether there’s an opportunity to work with other schools and share learning.
What else is on offer from your coach training course and how does it fit in with your professional development goals? Is there an underpinning framework or a simple model that you can see will fit in with your work? What do you want to be left with the end of the course – are resources and continued support or supervision provided to help you take coaching forward into your own professional practice?
We base everything we do on our Worth-it Certified Coaching programme on our published academic research and experience gained from 13 years of applied practice using coaching for early intervention and have developed a whole toolkit of practical resources that coaches trained by us can continue to use in their practice, we also provide business development support, supervision ongoing training and development to help our Certified Coaches advance their professional practice.
It can feel quite lonely and isolating in the role of Youth Coach, especially if you're trying to establish coaching as an intervention. Our Certified Coach training programme provides regular support workshops, and supervision sessions with other coaches that provide peer support and guidance.
Summary of tips to choose the right course for you
At Worth-it, our Coach Certification Programme offers a comprehensive curriculum designed specifically for coaching young people. Our programme is accredited by the Association for Coaching and ACCPH, ensuring high-quality training and recognition within the industry. With experienced trainers and a focus on practical skills and ethical practices, our programme equips you with the necessary tools to become a successful youth life coach.
You can join our Certified Worth-it Coach programme which provides you with training, supervision and support that will accelerate your route to professional coach accreditation with the Association for Coaching.
Our Full or Top-up Training options for Certified Worth-it Coaches mean you will complete our Accredited Award in Coach Training Course and then be supported by us to complete the necessary steps to become an accredited Foundation Coach with AC. This is a much quicker and more supportive route than working towards Coach accreditation alone
To find out more about what you will learn on the Coach Training course read this article and to find out what is involved in becoming accredited as a coach read this article.
If you're curious about starting your coaching journey, consider joining our free introduction to coaching course. This course provides a taste of what to expect in a full certification program and helps you decide if youth life coaching is the right path for you.
To learn more about our programme, visit our Certified Coach Information Page. So whether you are passionate about working with young people or looking to expand your coaching practice, our certification programme can help you achieve your goals while making a positive impact on the lives of youth in need. Join us on this journey towards empowering the next generation!
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