What does the day-to-day work of job coaches with a federal certificate in work integration look like?

Job coaches support and accompany people who find it difficult to enter or remain in the general labor market for various reasons. Their clients include people with physical and psychological problems, addictions, people with a migration background, people in prison or on social welfare. Job coaches offer their services as employees in organizations and companies or as self-employed persons on a contract basis.

Job coaches act as "bridge builders" between the people concerned and employers throughout the entire process before, during and after entering the labor market. This pursues the goal of sustainable professional integration and creates or maintains the basis for those affected to lead as independent a life as possible.

At the beginning, job coaches clarify the assignment and use tests and personal interviews to determine their clients' interests, strengths, weaknesses and wishes with regard to the job market. With their constantly updated knowledge of trends and requirements in the job market, job coaches support their clients in developing an application strategy, searching for jobs, writing applications and preparing for job interviews. In doing so, they not only provide advice, but also motivation.

On the employer side, job coaches create an understanding of their clients' situation and negotiate possible adjustments to performance requirements and working hours. Finally, job coaches continue to support both their clients and the new employers after they have been hired, for example in the event of initial difficulties or conflicts in the workplace.

Job coaches maintain intensive networks and have broad relationships with employers and other important stakeholder groups.

Target group and skills: For whom is the professional examination to become a job coach for work integration with a federal certificate suitable? What qualities and skills are required?

The "Job Coach for Work Integration" course and professional examination are suitable for

• for professionals who are already working as job coaches and would like to give their career a boost with the federal certificate.
• for interested individuals and career changers with relevant professional experience in coaching and work integration as well as supervision hours who see their professional future in job coaching and would like to demonstrate their knowledge.
• for employees in the field of work integration who want to expand their practical knowledge in order to provide their clients with the best possible advice.

Job coaches should have the following personal qualities and skills:

• Empathy
• Sociability and communication skills
• Ability to self-reflect
• Flexibility and resilience
• Stress resistance
• Ability to deal with conflict
• Organizational talent

Requirements for admission to the federal professional examination Job Coach / Job Coach Arbeitsintegration:

Admission to the federal professional examination for job coaches for work integration is granted to those who:

• Has a federal certificate of proficiency, a baccalaureate, a specialized baccalaureate or equivalent qualification

And

• have at least four years of professional experience, two of which must be relevant, with an average 80% workload. (Part-time workloads of less than 80% are counted pro rata)

And

• A total of twelve hours of supervision by a recognized supervisor are available

And

• Have the necessary module qualifications or certificates of equivalence. These include
  • Module 1: Planning and clarification of mandates
  • Module 2: Supporting and advising clients
  • Module 3: Acting with stakeholders

The supervision sessions, module completions and the corresponding professional experience must be reported by August 31 of the respective examination year.

You will find out whether you have been admitted to the professional examination at least five months before the start of the examination with a written notification including reasons and information on legal remedies in the event of rejection.

Note: Some schools may be prepared to admit you to a preparatory course for the professional examination to become a job coach for work integration if you do not (yet) meet the criteria for admission to the federal examination. It is then your responsibility to ensure that you meet the necessary requirements at the time of the examination/application for the examination.

Subject matter and content of the training

The subject matter of the preparatory courses for the federal vocational examination to become a job coach for work integration is based on the specifications of the sponsoring body of the vocational examination, the Swiss Association for Work Education and Job Coaching.

The subject matter is covered in three modules and covers the basic skills required for the professional examination:

• Module 1: Planning and clarifying mandates (clarifying the mandate with all parties involved, carrying out preliminary clarification regarding the client's work activity and accompanying him/her when entering the labor market, writing reports on the progress of measures, defining accompanying measures with the client)
• Module 2: Accompanying and advising clients (creating a skills profile with the client and supporting him/her in the search for training, further training, a job and in job interviews, accompanying the client after starting a job, mediating in conflict situations, assessing the client's current situation)
• Module 3: Acting with stakeholders (working with different stakeholders, discussing next steps for (re)integration with clients, participating in process development projects, building and maintaining networks with potential employers)

In addition, twelve hours of supervision are part of the training. This takes place with a supervisor recognized by the Professional Association for Coaching, Supervision and Organizational Consulting (BSO) or the Association Romande des Superviseurs (ARS).

Costs and financing of further training

The costs vary depending on the provider. In general, the following costs must be expected for the 2-3 semester in-service training course to become a job coach:

• Course fees: between CHF 7,000 and CHF 8,000. After the examination, you will receive around 50% of this back from the federal government on application (regardless of the result).
• Examination fee: Candidates pay the examination fee once admission has been confirmed. This fee is set by the examination organizer and published on its website examen-sopro.ch. It currently amounts to CHF 2,900.
• Some providers charge extra for teaching materials and training documents. Please contact the provider of your choice directly to find out what additional costs you can expect.

*Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for federal professional examinations (BP) and higher professional examinations (HFP) have been financially supported by the federal government. Graduates of these courses can therefore be reimbursed up to 50% (max. CHF 9,500 for BP, max. CHF 10,500 for HFP) of the course costs paid after taking the federal examination. In exceptional cases of hardship, the federal contributions are also paid out in advance.

Duration of study, number of lessons and learning effort

• The modular training program to become a job coach can be completed while working.
• It lasts around 30 weeks, spread over 2-3 semesters depending on the provider.
• The course comprises between 144 and 162 lessons, which often take place on one full day per week. Many schools now offer a mix of face-to-face and online courses (online, hybrid teaching, blended learning) as well as self-study.
• Thanks to the in-service training concept, you can apply and deepen the learning material in practice straight away. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up of the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your prior knowledge, working style and learning speed. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week as a precaution.

Degree, diploma and title

The professional examination to become a job coach for work integration is held annually, provided that at least 16 candidates meet the admission requirements (otherwise every two years). It can be taken in German, French or Italian.

The professional examination consists of three parts, which proceed as follows:

1) Reflection on personal working methods

• • Reflection report: prepared in advance, in writing:

Candidates write a reflection report on their dealings with clients and their interaction with employers. They are provided with two sets of questions from which they choose a given topic and document their experiences. The reflection report must be approx. 8 A4 pages long and meet the formal requirements regarding structure and content.

1. • Presentation of the reflection report and expert discussion: 40 minutes, oral:

Here, the candidates present the relevant content and key findings of their reflection report. They then answer the experts' in-depth questions.

2) Central professional processes: 60 minutes, written examination

Candidates work on complex situations in three case studies. They must analyze these and formulate suitable questions, challenges, problems and solutions.

3) Analyze discussions with client, authority or employer

• • Video analysis of a conversation situation: 20 minutes, written:

Here, candidates are asked to analyze a video-recorded interview situation in writing.

• • Expert discussion: 20 minutes, oral:

In the expert discussion, the candidates present the most important points of their analysis. In addition, they present situation-specific solutions for the practical situation observed on the video and answer in-depth questions from the experts.

Diploma and title

Graduates of the professional examination receive a federal certificate and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "Job Coach Work Integration".

In French: "Spécialiste en insertion professionnelle avec brevet fédéral"

In Italian: "Job Coach per l`inserimento lavorativo con attestator professionale federale"

In English: "Job Coach Integrated Employment, Federal Diploma of Higher Education"