About Us
Background Story About The Future-Ready Coaching Academy
Globally, the mental health and well-being of university students is in sharp decline. Recent studies indicate that nearly 70% of university students are experiencing emotional distress, loneliness, imposter syndrome, anxiety, and depression. On top of the mental health and well-being issues facing university students today, there is also a significant gap between the skills employers seek and those that students possess when they graduate. A study by McKinsey & Company found that 87% of recent university graduates lack the transferable skills they need to thrive at work based on surveys with employers. Despite these challenges, studies show that universities are neither equipping students with the skills to manage their well-being nor preparing them for the rapidly changing job market. As an educator who interacts and connects with students — both in and out of the classroom, Dr. Ayo (the Founder and President of Future-Ready Coaching Academy) has seen the impact of these challenges first-hand. So, when he received the Leiden University Best Teacher of the Year Award in 2021 for excellence in teaching and service to students, he decided to establish the Future-Ready Coaching Academy. The goal of the Future-Ready Coaching Academy is to improve students’ well-being and prepare them for the labour market (including the jobs of the future) through soft skills coaching.
Why Soft Skills Matter?
Soft skills are essential for students (and professionals) in many ways. Multiple lines of research persuasively show that soft skills are important predictors of academic success, career advancement, and positive mental health and well-being. According to joint research conducted by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation, and Stanford Research Center, on average a whopping 85% of job success comes from soft skills and just 15% from technical skills. Yet, there is no consensus about what soft skills are, what soft skills are essential to be future-ready, how to assess or measure them, or how best to teach them. Hence, the Future-Ready Coaching Academy has arrived to fill this gap.
Our Approaches
One-on-One Coaching and Mentoring Sessions
The one-on-one coaching and mentoring sessions are personalized support, dedicated to individual students' needs. Here, Dr. Ayo creates a safe, confidential, and supportive environment where students can spend quality time thinking about their academic, personal, and professional goals as well as the results of their soft skills assessment test. Dr. Ayo will help you explore where you are now, discover where you want to go and identify strategies to get there. This takes place every Wednesday.
Group Coaching and Interactive Workshops
Students learn best when they are active, engaged, and work in groups. So, a lot of importance is placed on social connection, peer learning, and group activities. We use blended and interactive learning methods with discussions, role plays, game activities, edutainment, and skill application, to create a learning environment where students are comfortable to explore, challenge and ask questions. The group coaching and interactive workshops are titled “Well-being Wednesdays”. The Well-being Wednesdays Group Coaching will take place every other Wednesday beginning from Block 4.
Panel Discussion and Debate Sessions
With the growing “cancel culture” in higher education, we need to prepare our students on how to respectfully interact with people who hold opposing viewpoints. So, the panel discussion and debate sessions are student-led. The purpose of our panel discussion sessions is to help students to develop vital soft skills, such as effective communication, leadership, teamwork, critical thinking, self-awareness, open-mindedness, etc. The panellists are typically 3-4 students who share their knowledge and experiences about assigned soft skill topics and provide insights to create real value and takeaways for the audience. The panel discussion and debate sessions are facilitated by one of the core team members of the Future-Ready Coaching Academy. This takes place every other Wednesday beginning from Block 3.
Our Coaching Principles and Methods
At the Future - Ready Coaching Academy, we tailor our coaching approach to be as effective as possible. Here's how we do it:
Brain-friendly: We leverage neuroscience insights to ensure our coaching and mentoring are effortlessly digestible and effective, making it easier for you to absorb and apply new knowledge.
Process-focused: Our methods are clear and structured, so you always know what's happening.
Outcome-driven: We are all about setting clear goals and consistently achieving them, ensuring you see tangible results from our coaching.
Coachee-centered: You are in control. We put you in the driver's seat of your development.
One size doesn’t fit all: We recognize that everyone is unique, and our coaching reflects that.