So, you’ve finally got your coaching certification and you’re embarking on your exciting new career. Of course, that’s great news, but this isn’t the time to start resting on your laurels. In order to stay relevant and competitive, your new skills need nurturing and developing through continued education.
You’re required to renew your CCE certification every three years and, if you allow your skills and industry knowledge to lapse, you run the risk of failing to meet the renewal requirements of the ICF (International Coaching Federation) - meaning that you may lose your certification.
Keeping your skills up to date not only helps you at renewal time but will also give you an important edge in your industry - after all, your prospective clients won’t want to hand over their hard earned cash to a coach who’s stuck in the past.
The great news is that cracking the coaching code and sharpening your expertise is easier than you might think.
ICF CCE courses are created for people like you who are committed to being the best coach that they can be - and these courses can usually be completed online in your own time.
What’s left to learn?
I know what you’re thinking - “I’ve already got my certificate, I don’t need to take a course”. Sounds reasonable however, it’s not that simple. Quick question - if you’re registered with a GP, would you expect him or her to keep abreast of new treatments and therapies or would you be happy for them to stick with what they learned at GP school?
Coaching is no different - CCE (Continuing Coach Education) courses are vital for:
- Keeping up with evolving coaching methodologies
- Matching your services to client requirements
- Staying relevant and credible in a highly competitive arena
- Expanding your skills
- Pivoting into niche areas such as somatic, mentor or team coaching or even neuroscience
- Sharing ideas with other like-minded coaches
What Are ICF CCE Courses?
ICF CCE courses are
specialized programs designed to update your coaching knowledge and meet the ICF's credential renewal requirements. To renew your certification, you’ll need to complete at least 40 hours of CCE units over three years.
These courses are categorized into two main types:
ICF core competencies (at least 24 hours required)
These focus on the core values of coaching:
- Active listening
- Powerful and relevant questioning
- Creating awareness
- Ethics and coaching agreements
Resource development (up to 16 hours)
These courses are focused on supporting your professional development:
- Business-building skills
- Marketing for coaches
- Personal development
- Technology for coaching
Who should take a CCE Course and When?
The who
Everybody who holds an ACC (Associate Certified Coach), PCC (Professional Certified Coach) or MCC (Master Certified Coach) certificate is obliged to complete 40 CCE units, which should be broken down into 24 Core Competency units and 16 Resource Development units.
Completing these units is essential for renewing your ICF certification.
The when
ICF certification renewal occurs every three years and you must complete your CCE units within the three years leading to your renewal date.
Of course it's possible to cram your 40 units into the 12 months leading up to your renewal, but as you may guess, this isn't recommended. By starting early - and spreading out your learning across the three years - you’ll absorb more content and your learning will be more effective. This way, you can also make sure that you’re constantly applying what you’re learning in your coaching practice.
What’s In It For Me?
When you’ve got lots going on, it can be easy to see the idea of a CCE course as a chore but nothing could be further from the truth.
So let’s look at a few of the things that coaches love about ICF CCE courses:
Coaching - not coasting - with confidence and authority
For a client, putting their trust in a coach is a big deal - and they want to know that they’re getting the very best service possible. Regularly completing CCE courses is a great way of showing your commitment as well as making sure that you’re accessing the best and latest coaching tools available.
Expand your coaching toolbox
CCE courses help coaches to ensure that their services match the ever changing needs of their clients. Models, frameworks and techniques all evolve over time and it's important that you’re able to keep up with these in order to offer better, more tailored support to clients.
Fulfill ICF credential requirements
You didn’t put in all that work to get your certificate only to lose it - and that’s a very real possibility if you don’t fulfil your CCE course unit obligations.
Explore your niche
As you settle into your coaching career, there’s a good chance that you will start to naturally lean toward a particular sector such as executive coaching, trauma-informed coaching or, for thoroughly modern Millies (or Michael’s) coaching with AI. CCE courses can help you to hone your skills and make your transition to specialist coaching.
Connect with a like-minded tribe
CCE courses allow you to form connections with like-minded coaches; often forging life-long relationships. Being able to talk with others who know the challenges you face can be incredibly therapeutic as well as social.
How to Choose the Right CCE Course
In order to get the most out of your CCE course, it’s important to
choose the right one for you. When shopping for a course, there are a few things you should be looking out for and these are:
- ICF-accredited course provider status
- Relevant to your present and future practice
- Flexible format (live or self-paced)
- Qualified instructors with real-world coaching experience
- Interactive components for deeper and more effective learning
Pro tip: Needless to say, completing your 40 hours will fulfil your ICF obligations, but there’s a lot more to be had from these courses. Look for providers who offer something extra such as mentorship, business development modules or real-world community endeavors to make your training more well-rounded.
ICF accredited Coach Campus offers engaging and comprehensive CCE programs which include:
- ICF-accredited training modules and content
- Practical and hands-on real-world training
- Flexible schedules to allow learning to fit in with your practice
- Access to a global coaching community
- A coaching education which inspires as well as informs
If you’re looking for inspiration as well as sharpening your skills and satisfying your renewal obligations, this is a great place to start.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q:
What happens if I can’t finish my CCEs before the renewal date?
A: Hey, things happen! But don’t panic as there's a grace period for most courses so you need to check this. Do, however, try to make the deadline as you may run the risk of losing your certification if you push this beyond the grace period.
Q:
Can I take CCE courses online?
A: In most cases, absolutely - most providers, including Coach Campus offer flexible online courses to fit in with your schedule.
Q:
Do I have to take all 40 hours at once?
A: Not at all. You can - and should - spread your learning out across the three year period to ensure balanced learning.
Q:
How can I tell if a course is ICF-accredited?
A: Look for the ICF CCE logo on the website or ping an email over to the provider to check.
Q:
What’s the difference between CCE courses and my initial ICF training?
A: CCEs are ongoing courses for professional development whereas ICF courses are to gain your initial certification. after your initial coach certification.
If you'd like to learn more about what we provide, why not take a look at how we can help?
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Nurturing the Seeds of Growth
Gaining your ICF certification is just the first step on a long and rewarding journey as a coach. In order to build a lifelong, sustainable, credible and transformative coaching practice you need to be able to commit to regular and consistent development - which is where CCE courses come in. As well as making sure that your expertise stays relevant and up to date, these courses offer inspiration, new challenges and the opportunity to connect with other coaches.
