Sam Isaacson

Grant Thornton (UK and Global): apprenticeship standards

Session on 26 November 2019 14:45 UTC - View on timetable

Session

Apprenticeship standard: blazing a trail to transform internal coach development

EMCC has supported us in our wider, industry-shaping work. In particular they have been an active member of the Apprenticeship Trailblazer Group we are leading, developing the new coaching apprenticeship standard.

There has been a growing demand for the professionalisation of coaching to include one-to-one coaching, team coaching, leadership coaching, and for coaching skills to be embedded within culture and governance infrastructures to support future ways of working. Having taken our coach development programme to the EQA level we identified a broader opportunity in the market to support the development of a more systemic leadership mindset shift across organisations and industries.

We also became aware that some coach employers had failed in their attempt to develop an apprenticeship standard in coaching in 2016, and so we decided to accept the challenge of drawing on our broader understanding of the UK market to lead the development of this. In January 2019 we submitted a proposal to Government for a new apprenticeship standard, and to our delight they approved it. We have now engaged with over 100 employers, professional bodies, several training providers, and end-point assessors as part of this and are on the cusp of this new standard being released to the UK market. Its introduction will enable employers to draw on the Apprenticeship Levy to fund training in coaching to their employees.

This Case Study and dialogue looks at the developments to date and how we might ensure maximum potential and scope for Coaching, Mentoring, and Supervision Professional Practice across all sectors in the future.

Bio

Sam Isaacson is Head of Coaching Services at Grant Thornton UK. He is an EMCC Global Accredited Coach, Mentor, and Supervisor, helping leaders rethink businesses as the market increasingly works with digital technology and has to engage with new generations of employees and customers. He is a Coaching Governance Adviser with Grant Thornton and hosts and co-ordinates the Grant Thornton ‘Coaching Breakfast’ Programme. The Grant Thornton Coaching Programme has the EMCC Global Quality Award (EQA) Programme Accreditation for the UK and Global Markets. Sam is also Chair of the trailblazer group designing the new ‘Coaching Professional’ apprenticeship standard including contributors from a range of around 80 organisations from almost every sector.