U.S. Department of Defense COOL Program Service Members Gain Pathway to ICF Credential

– Service Members Gain Federal Support for a Rapidly Growing Career Path with the Gold Standard in Coaching Credentials –

Lexington, Kentucky — The International Coaching Federation (ICF) announced today a new pathway to a professional coaching credential for service members via the U.S. Military Services’ Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL) program. Service members now have the opportunity to apply for and pursue the ACC, an internationally recognized coaching credential, with the support of federal funding, and to apply the credential to their continued military careers or their transition to civilian life.

The ACC is now among civilian credentials listed on the Air Force, Army, and Department of Defense (DoD) civilian staff COOL websites.

“Coaching is an evidence-based, unique profession that people around the world turn to when facing challenges, opportunities for growth, or transition periods,” said Magdalena Nowicka Mook, CEO of ICF. “At ICF, we are proud to provide professional coach credentials that represent the gold standard for the practice. Whether service members apply their coaching skills to their continued military career or in a new career path as a civilian, they are preparing themselves to supercharge leaders, accelerate high performers, unleash people’s potential, and enrich organizational cultures.”

The ability to pursue the ACC through the COOL program not only contributes to the personal and professional growth of service members, but also aligns with a broader trend of organizations investing in coaching cultures. An increasing number of organizations (33%) have a dedicated budget for coaching—an increase of 25% since 2019, according to the 2023 Defining New Coaching Cultures Study from ICF and the Human Capital Institute. The profession grew by 54% from 2019 to 2022, according to the ICF Global Consumer Awareness Study, with over 100,000 practitioners worldwide. This amounted to $4.564 billion in revenue—a 60% increase over the same period. Coach practitioners in North America reported earning an average of $67,800 in annual income.

For these coach practitioners, an ICF credential offers a competitive advantage. The overwhelming majority of coaches surveyed (80%) agreed that their clients expect coaches to be certified/credentialed; 85% of coaches surveyed said they currently held a coaching certification/credential from a coaching organization as of 2022.

The first COOL program for service members was created for the Army in 2002, and its success led to COOL programs with the Air Force, Coast Guard, Navy, and Marines, in the years following. Each military branch supports a Service-specific COOL program website designed to match occupations with civilian credentials (occupational certifications, licenses, and apprenticeships) and provide resources to help service members attain these credentials.

To be approved by the military Services’ COOL programs for inclusion on their COOL websites, credentialing programs must demonstrate that they meet rigorous quality standards.

To learn more, visit the DOD COOL Portal.