Career Coaching for Seniors (Train-the-Coach programme)

Rationale/Aims

With increase life expectancies, the enactment of the Re-employment Legislation and the concomitant need/desire to extend working life among seniors, due to financial circumstances or by choice, human resource practitioners, management and helping professionals would need to be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to offer counselling to mature employees, as they navigate their career transitions in their later years. These transitions could mean re-employment or re-deployment within the same company, a new job in another company, or another industry or self-employment. Cognizant that mature employees possess valuable skills, knowledge and experience and have made significant contributions to the company and the society, the aim of this course is to equip participants with the essential competencies to coach seniors, so as to enhance the fit between their interests, strengths, personalities etc and their jobs. A good fit will increase mature employees’ motivations, job performance and personal fulfilment, while at the same time help companies maintain business competitiveness.

The following is designed to address the above requirements.

Target Participants

  • Helping professionals (e.g. counsellors, career coaches etc.) in the health, community (e.g. CDCs) and social service sectors, human resource practitioners, managers supervising seniors

Course Objectives

Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:

  • Have better understanding of seniors
  • Be equip with basic coaching skills to optimise the strengths and experience of seniors and facilitate their vocational well-being

Course Outlines

Part A. Understanding & Managing Life-Stage Changes, Current Social Systems, Ageing Process

  • Developmental issues and changes
  • Physical and psychological aspects of ageing
  • Health and health maintenance
  • Financial review

Part B. Coaching: Purpose, Principles & Skills

  • Definitions and objectives of coaching
  • Self-assessment & values clarification
  • Principles of coaching seniors
  • Coaching skills

Part C: Skills Application - Inventory for Assisting Seniors in Exploring Career Options

Assess the following:

  • Skill sets
    • Functional
    • Adaptive
    • Specific content, etc
  • Heart/passions/goals
    • Motivation and values clarification
    • Career values and needs
  • Talents/abilities
  • Personality types
    • Dr John Holland’s Self-Directed Search (SDS) Interest Inventory
    • Understanding and using the SDS Interpretive Report
    • Myers-Briggs type Indicator
  • Experience (employment or others)

Part D: Job search, retraining resources

Community support services

Course Duration

Two Days