In my role working with young people at YLab, I’ve been reflecting on how structured coaching helps young people grow in their careers.

At YLab, we coach young people with really varied lived and professional experience both within our own organisation and those employed by our clients. It’s not just about setting young people up for professional success, it’s key to them becoming effective players in driving systems change. Our coaching methods are underpinned by a high trust, safe and equal relationship.

Coaching also plays a key role in skill development. This is especially important for young people entering the workforce or a new sector for the first time. In recent projects with Learning Creates Australia, fortnightly coaching sessions were utilised for all young participants.

Here’s what we’ve learnt so far about the power of structured coaching:

1. It helps young people develop a reflection practice, which is key for growth

   
   Work can often be busy, making it hard to find time to reflect on skill development and other learnings. We have found this to be particularly important for young people, who may be entering the workforce or a new sector for the first time. Structured coaching provides the space to slow down and reflect on their experiences.
   

2. Documenting their progress helps build confidence overtime

   
   In our recent projects, we mapped the key skills and capabilities participants were developing, empowering them to track their progress across the project. This approach has led to increased confidence because they can clearly see their development over time. One young person said “It also helps me to grow in confidence because I can clearly see what I have done and achieved. I can also see how it will help me with writing future resumes for jobs.”
   

3. Mapping key skills and capabilities provides employability language

   
   Young people recognise when they are using specific skills, by learning skills vocabulary (Pretti & Fannon, 2018). This is important for their ability to share with future employers what they know and what they can do. Keeping to a regular fortnightly rhythm of coaching allowed for young people to learn this over time and be confident in explaining their value to future employers.

Structured coaching plays a crucial role in the professional development of young people. We’ve witnessed this firsthand at YLab and are excited to continue developing our coaching model and providing more opportunities for young people.

A big shout out to Learning Creates Australia for partnering with us on this journey. Reach out to us if you’d like to chat further.