BACKGROUND
City Gateway, a charity supporting women and young people to overcome barriers to employment, offers disadvantaged groups a range of services from community events and drop-in youth clubs to training and apprenticeship schemes, and the chance to develop their own business ideas.
Why coaching?
An effective Coach can help clients solve the everyday challenges they encounter when they are ready and willing to commit to taking the actions they decide on during their sessions.
The coach will help them to identify their strengths, weaknesses and career aspirations.
Engaging a coach, however, is a privilege restricted to those who are well off.
We wanted to extend the privilege to City Gateway clients through our New Coaching Initiative, which built on and complimented the existing work of City Gateway Women's Project, by comprising 1:1 face-to-face coaching sessions during their employability sessions.
THE RESULTS
Between February 2011 and September 2011 we delivered 25 coaching sessions to 15 clients.
The success of the initiative is best described by our client comments:
“Discovered my real potential.”
“I feel good about what I want to achieve.”
“Helped me rethink my strengths and weaknesses.”
“It was helpful in boosting my confidence level, and I now find it easier to communicate in a friendly manner.”
“It helped me to think about me. Find the problem. Solve the problem.”
“Learned to identify my strengths and set goals. Feeling good about what I want to achieve.”
“Thinking about what I need to do to find the job I want. I now have a position at City Gateway.”
The coaching continues using Skype.
Media