New coaching program coming to Lethbridge College

By Justin Sibbet - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on July 5, 2023.

Whether you are seeking to better yourself, your organization or educate the future leaders, a new course at Lethbridge College aims to support you along the way.
The college recently became accredited by the International Federation of Coaches, so they can now offer a three-month program taught by experienced coaches.
The program is part-time and available online via LC Extension, this means prospective students will be able to maintain their full-time employment while learning to become more adept in their line of work.
LC Extension Director, Jason Donkersgoed, says the program will immediately throw students into the coaching chair upon enrolment.
“On day one, already, you’re going to start coaching in front of your cohort,” said Donkersgoed.
This practical approach is different from the normal theory-heavy classes often seen, according to Donkersgoed.
“You’re actually going to find some clients and you’re going to coach with them,” said Donkersgoed. “At some point, you’re going to actually coach in front of what we call a ‘mentor coach’, who is someone who has very specific qualifications through (ICF).”
He says this will better equip workplace professionals with the tools they need to improve their standing at their current job or even enable them to find a new opportunity.
“You are getting a ton of high-quality experience in actually using coaching in real life scenarios,” said Donkersgoed.
As it is, Donkersgoed says this program is crucial for professionals because the landscape surrounding coaching and leadership has changed drastically in recent years.
“If you think about, even five, ten years ago, if you thought about leadership, it was about control and command. It was about the leader is the knowledge keeper and they’re there to pass that down,” said Donkersgoed. “Well, the world has changed dramatically, it’s way more complex.”
He says, not only has management changed, but employment has also shifted from a pro-employer world to a pro-employee one.
“Employees are way more empowered and they have different expectations of their managers and they want their managers to help them grow as human beings, grow as employees,” said Donkersgoed.
Even though he says the landscape has shifted in favour of the employees, the results are not always good for local businesses.
With remote work becoming a reality for many individuals, Donkersgoed says local people are beginning to work for companies all over the world and not necessarily applying for positions here in Lethbridge or southern Alberta.
“Something that we hear all the time from every single employer is that there is a workforce shortage,” said Donkersgoed.
He says the program that will be offered by the college starting in September will also train managers on the ability to retain workers while keeping them happy.
Although he says the program is taking a new, modern approach to coaching, he says the course will remain fluid and ever-changing.
“Artificial intelligence may play a role in coaching,” said Donkersgoed.
He says there is a chance that AI will be able to analyse Zoom meetings or phone calls and pick up on what went right or wrong, then it will provide feedback.
However, he says AI may not be the future of coaching either, only time or research will tell.
“Is that the right way to go? What are the drawbacks (of AI in coaching)? It’s yet to be seen, but we’re already seeing lots of employers using AI in different ways,” said Donkersgoed.
The standard tuition fee for this program is just shy of $5,000, although businesses can apply through the Canada-Alberta Job Grant for up to a two-thirds reduction in fees for their employees.
To learn more about this new “Leader as Coach” program, visit lethbridgecollege.ca.

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