Empowering Early-Career Professionals: How Our LearnX Diamond Award-Winning Mentoring Program is Uplifting Talent

At Emergent Learning, we are passionate about designing learning experiences that drive real impact. One of our proudest collaborations has been with the NSW Business Unit of CPB Contractors, a leading construction company renowned for its commitment to capability building, performance enhancement, and workforce development. As a trusted learning partner, we identified an opportunity to further elevate the success of their graduate program—by introducing a structured mentoring initiative. This initiative was recognized with a prestigious LearnX Diamond Award, reinforcing its excellence in workforce development.

Identifying the Opportunity

Through evaluation reports and qualitative feedback from both graduates and their leaders, we discovered a key area for enhancement: while the graduate program effectively built adaptability and professional skills, additional support was needed to ensure long-term career success. The solution? A mentoring program designed to bridge the gap between early-career professionals and experienced mentors, fostering knowledge transfer and professional development.

The Solution: A Structured, Evidence-Based Mentoring Program

To provide targeted support, we designed two tailored courses:

• ‘Getting the Most from My Mentor’ – A 2-hour session for mentees, helping them define expectations, engage effectively, and make the most of their mentoring experience.

• ‘The Mindful Mentor’ – A 2-hour session for mentors, equipping them with the skills to foster holistic mentoring relationships and navigate the mentorship process.

Our approach was rooted in evidence-based practices from social, psychological, and behavioral sciences, ensuring the program was both practical and impactful. The courses provided a clear structure for mentors and mentees, aligning them with CPB Contractors’ learning and development objectives while embedding the learning into the broader graduate program.

Key components of the program included:

• Defining mentor and mentee roles and responsibilities

• Establishing a structured mentorship process

• Providing monthly discussion topics aligned with the graduate program

• Offering guided questions to facilitate meaningful conversations

• Delivering expertly designed facilitation resources, including a structured slide deck and participant workbooks

Delivering Results and Driving Impact

The success of the program was evident through the overwhelmingly positive feedback from both mentees and mentors. Course evaluations revealed high engagement and satisfaction:

“I found it valuable meeting the other mentors so I know who I can touch base with”

‘Getting the Most from My Mentor’ – Average rating: 9.4/10

“I enjoyed the role-play part”

‘The Mindful Mentor’ – Average rating: 8.6/10

By blending the mentoring program with CPB Contractors’ graduate development initiatives, we ensured that the learning experience was integrated, practical, and results-driven. The emphasis on building meaningful, mindful relationships allowed participants to explore challenges and aspirations openly, setting the foundation for long-term success.

A Lasting Impact on Workforce Development

This mentoring program has proven to be an invaluable addition to CPB Contractors’ development initiatives, enhancing talent retention and career growth for early-career professionals. The structured, pragmatic approach and the deep alignment with the organization’s goals have made it a standout success, culminating in the recognition of a LearnX Diamond Award for excellence in workforce development.

At Emergent Learning, we take pride in designing learning solutions that create lasting impact. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with CPB Contractors and further innovating in workforce development.

Want to enhance your organization's learning and development initiatives? Get in touch with us to explore how we can create tailored learning experiences that drive real business outcomes.