Over 45 emerging leaders were paired up with experienced water professionals as AWA launched its mentorship program on Friday, 24 February hosted and sponsored by Stantec.
The Australian Water Association’s VIC Mentoring Program pairs young water professionals with experienced practitioners across all aspects of the water industry based on participants' preferences in several areas. It was with great excitement that the 2022 program was launched with a breakfast at the Stantec Offices in the Melbourne CBD on Friday, 24 February 2023.
To start the morning, 60 new mentees and mentors received a warm welcome from event organiser Dominic Murray-Fiume and a sponsor’s address from Jane La Nauze, on behalf of Stantec. Dominic then moderated an insightful panel discussion, giving us the chance to hear from experienced mentees/mentors Soyun Punyadasa, Amy Gason and Ali Rahimi. This session focused on the how of mentoring, with practical tips for both mentees and mentors embarking on this new journey together. Many of the valuable lessons discussed were rooted in an understanding that open and honest communication is critical to the development of a successful mentoring partnership, as well as an understanding that things don’t always go to plan and communicating one’s needs and expectations clearly is something to be encouraged from both mentors and mentees.
To close out the morning, we provided a chance for new mentoring pairs to meet and gain mutual agreement on objectives and to agree on how often and when to meet. 45 pairs of mentors and mentees have been matched this year, and these mentoring partnerships will meet regularly for the next year with mentors providing support and guidance to mentees. It was fantastic to see the enthusiasm.