A tree is as healthy as its roots and a building as strong as its foundation. Your career or professional expertise is just like that; if the base is shaky, then the road to success and true accomplishment becomes strewn with difficulties as well. If you are starting your journey as a coach, then the ACC coaching certificate is the foundation you should seek.
What is ACC Coaching Certification?
The ACC stands for Associate Certified Coach. It signifies the first step you take towards becoming a professional coach. Your coach-specific training focuses on building core coaching competencies, code of conduct, and ethics of coaching practice specified by the Internal Coach Federation. Considering that this is the entry-level credential for coaching professionals, this is also regarded as the foundational coaching course.
What is the Standard Overview of an ACC Certification Program?
The standard ACC coaching certification program must comprise of at least:
- Minimum of 60 hours of coach-specific training
- 10 hours of Mentor Coaching
- Homework/Independent Study (These may include outside reading, writing, research, journaling, practice coaching, and various other activities.)
After completing the program, you have to gain at least 100 hours of client coaching experience with eight different clients following the start of your coach-specific training. The coaching experience should begin after starting the training. At least 25 hours of coaching experience must have taken place within 24 months of submitting your application.
Many training programs support you in completing your coaching experiences. Team Transformation gives you space and platform to connect with other coaches and complete your experience hours.
What are ACC Coaching Certification Pathways?
ICF provides three application paths to choose from for the Associate Certified Coach. These pathways define the training programs approved by ICF to receive coach-specific training. You can apply for an ICF-ACC certificate under any of these pathways:
- ACTP (Accredited Coach Training Program)
- ACSTH (Approved Coach Specific Training Hours)
- Portfolio (Programs align with Continuing Coach Education (CCE))
Each of the above pathways has defined different criteria to earn ACC coaching certification. It is advised that you start with the ACTP pathway as it’s an all-inclusive program, providing start to finish coach training. Later on, this will help you move on to a higher coaching certification level, including the MCC credential from the ICF.
How to Plan Your ACC Coaching Certification?
Here are a few essential pointers to plan the ACC certification program:
- Firstly, you need to do proper research before enrolling under a specific pathway of the ACC program. The ACTP is an all-inclusive program that requires completion of the entire course. In the case of ACSTH, completing a minimum of 60 hours of coach-specific training is mandatory. Hence, according to the pathway you prefer and the program you choose, the time can vary from one to another.
- Secondly, the coaching experience hours need to be tracked. You have to submit audio recordings and transcripts for your Performance Evaluation.
- Third, you must complete 10 hours of mentoring.
- The final step would be to submit all your documents along with your application.
- ICF then sends you a link to complete your Coach Knowledge Assessment. Your application will be reviewed by the ICF only if you pass the CKA.
- ICF takes at least 4 weeks to review your application if submitted under the ACTP pathway. If the application is submitted under the ACSTH pathway, ICF takes 14 weeks to review.
Conclusion
Choosing the right program, the right certification pathway, and the right institute all converge into creating your career as a professional coach. If you seek an ICF ACC coaching certification program that gives you all the skills and opportunities to grow as a coach, Team Transformation has the most flexible coaching approach towards training in terms of mode and process.
Becoming an ICF ACC coach should be the best decision of your career and life. Team Transformation provides ICF ACC coaching programs for leaders and coaches who want to learn to coach corporate professionals and organizations. Begin with the best ACC coaching that aligns with your vision and goals. Join Team Transformation.
