The National NRM Mentoring Program
Pioneering mentorship and building leadership capability.
Creating the first dedicated mentoring program in NRM
Mentoring is a powerful tool for professional growth and leadership development. Recognising the need for stronger career development pathways and knowledge sharing, NRM Regions Queensland, through its Leadership Working Group, took a bold step in creating the industry’s first dedicated mentoring program that aimed to lift leadership capability, at all locations, at all levels and at all times.
The Queensland NRM Sector Mentoring Program was launched in 2024, and in its first two years attracted participation from more than 20% of the sector’s state-wide workforce.
Following this success, and in partnership with NRM Regions Australia, a National NRM Mentoring Program launched in 2026.
Structured support and breaking barriers
Before this program, no formal mentoring initiative existed in the NRM sector, leaving many professionals without structured guidance for career growth and leadership development.
Additionally, while industry collaboration was essential, professionals often worked in silos, limiting opportunities for cross-organisational learning. With multiple organisations involved, securing CEO and executive leadership support was also critical for success.
Clear objectives to support careers and the NRM sector
Effective mentor-mentee matching
Using a science-based approach to create meaningful connections.
Leadership and coaching development
Providing mentors with the skills to guide and inspire others.
Increased networking and collaboration
Encouraging professionals to share knowledge across organisations.
Career progression support
Helping mentees gain confidence, skills, and opportunities for growth.
Designing the mentoring program
To bring this vision to life, we partnered with Brancher, a specialist in mentoring program design. Brancher worked with the Leadership Working Group to develop a tailored nine-month mentoring initiative, carefully mapped to our Leadership Capabilities and industry needs.
The program is designed to provide structured support and guidance to both mentors and mentees. Participants are matched using a science-based approach to ensure alignment of goals and expertise.
The program includes launch webinars to set expectations, mid-point and end-point workshops to track progress and support participants and bite-sized training sessions to develop key skills. Regular check-ins, admin support and ongoing program management ensure participants remain engaged throughout the process.
The 2026 National NRM Mentoring Program connected 71 mentor–mentee pairs across 35 regional NRM organisations, with an average distance of 1,257 km between mentoring partners.
The results: 2026 National NRM Mentoring Program
High satisfaction and engagement
– 91% mentor-mentee matching satisfaction
– 98% meeting satisfaction
– 94% likely to recommend the program to their peers
Professional and leadership growth
– 80% of mentees achieved their goals
– 80% of mentors increased their coaching skills
– 77% of participants increased their leadership capability
Long-term impact and national connections
– 87% of mentees increased their cross-sector understanding
– 77% of participants reported sustained behaviour change
Testimonials: The power of mentorship
The future of mentoring in NRM
The National NRM Mentoring Program is an opportunity to share expertise and experiences across the national natural resource management sector, lifting our capacity as a whole.
The 2026 program has now concluded, bringing together 71 mentor–mentee pairings from 35 regional NRM organisations.
Following a successful first year, the National NRM Mentoring Program is back for 2027, connecting NRM staff as mentors and mentees across Australia.
The success of the Queensland NRM Sector Mentoring Program demonstrated the power of structured, cross-regional mentoring, delivering measurable leadership and collaboration outcomes across the state. This provided the foundations for the national program, showing that when mentoring is embedded, it strengthens leadership at all levels, at all times, and improves sector-wide alignment and integration.
The mentoring program is a key part of our NRM Leadership Framework.
Regional NRM organisations in Queensland
