Bridging The Gap Between Higher Education And The Workforce: A Coach Approach To Teaching

Abstract There is debate in the business community around whether new entrants to the labour market are as proficient in essential skills such as communications, collaboration, and critical thinking as were their forbears. At the same time, the demand for executive coaching has increased substantially under both strong and weak economic conditions. Corporations are now using coaching to enhance essential skills within the workplace, which gives rise to questions about college graduates' skills and the positive impact coaching skills could have if embedded within academia. We explore the benefits of using a coach approach in the classroom whereby the instructor engages, enlightens, and empowers students to better prepare graduates for life-long learning and the labour market. The model requires the instructor to embrace authenticity, insight, and innovation by taking a coach approach to teaching with the intent to enhance learning outcomes