Mentorship that helps guide a career path or provides sound advice when it is most needed can be a critical component of both career development and personal growth.
Most professionals who are on a defined career trajectory, when asked about mentors, can readily identify one or perhaps even several individuals who have offered valuable guidance or acted as a trusted sounding board, helping shape their professional journey.
Whether formal or informal, mentoring relationships can build confidence, offer reassurance at key decision points, and provide that extra encouragement needed to confirm someone is on the right path. For many people, a mentor is often the person who recognises their potential long before they see it in themselves.
Accessing the experience, knowledge and insight that mentors can provide at any stage of a career is not always easy. Finding the right mentor can take time, and approaching someone to take on a formal mentoring role can feel daunting.
This is where UDIA WA’s formal mentoring programs play an important role, specifically tailored to professionals working directly or indirectly in the Western Australian property development sector.
UDIA WA currently offers two formal mentoring programs as part of its UDIA WA Educate professional development courses.
Emerging Leaders
The first mentoring option is embedded within the broader UDIA WA Emerging Leaders Program, which is designed to support professionals in Western Australia’s urban development industry to develop and strengthen their people leadership skills.
The Emerging Leaders Program combines leadership learning with invaluable mentoring from an industry leader, allowing participants to apply and embed theoretical knowledge in a practical setting. The program also provides opportunities for networking and industry exposure.
Aimed at industry professionals with at least five years’ experience, the structured mentoring component runs over a six-month period. Participants are matched with an appropriate mentor based on outcomes from a 360-degree feedback process and DISC profiling exercise.
Reflecting on his experience in the Emerging Leaders Program and its mentoring component in an interview for UDIA WA’s The Urbanist magazine, Satterley Senior Development Manager Luke Oliver said the program provided the opportunity to learn from “the best of the best”.
Luke was paired with highly respected industry stalwart and planner Lex Barnett as his formal mentor.
“Ultimately, there is much value in listening to Lex’s career journey, and finding parallels with my own experience, so that I can gain guidance and support,” Mr Oliver said.
“In the past I have relied on a more organic process to build this type of relationship, however I think the structure of this program helps to build on the more organic way that I’ve gone about things to date.”
Luke shared it is not always easy to self-reflect and understand the areas within yourself and your own leadership style that could be developed further.
“I think mentors are important to help create that overall, well rounded view of yourself and where you can improve and grow.”
The Emerging Leaders Program has been running since late 2024, with a growing number of industry professionals already having completed the course.
Participants have included development managers, marketing professionals, engineers and many others from across the development industry, many of whom have provided positive feedback on the value of formal mentoring.
Young professionals
For those just starting out on their career journey, the newly launched UDIA WA Outlook Mentoring Program is designed to support early-career professionals in confidently developing their careers. Trainees, graduates and professionals with up to four years’ experience are encouraged to participate. The program offers personalised guidance, industry connections and structured development.
In both mentoring programs, mentees are carefully matched with a mentor based on the outcomes of their 360 feedback, DISC profiling and SWOT analysis. The mentor cohort is high calibre, with participants benefiting from their independence perspective and extensive knowledge and experience across a range of professional roles, including development, engineering and planning.
The point of difference in joining a UDIA WA Educate mentoring program, or any of the professional development courses on offer, is the industry-specific, tailored nature of the programs.
Each is bespoke and designed with the WA property development industry firmly front of mind.
If you would like to find out more about UDIA WA Educate mentoring programs or any of the other courses on offer, visit: https://www.udiawa.com.au/professional-development/
The next Emerging Leaders program kicks off on 24 March 2026 and the first Outlook Mentoring program will commence in early May 2026.
Don’t miss out on your opportunity to be part of a growing cohort of UDIA WA Educate alumni who have benefited from tailored professional development that enhances their knowledge and capacity.
By Tanya Steinbeck
