Continuous learning journeys
Our learning and development approach supports people from all career levels to chart their own pathways and pursue their professional development goals.
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At Spiire, we believe in providing real opportunities for career progression. We equip our people with the tools and experiences they need, at all different stages of their careers, to take the next step as opportunities emerge in our growing business.
This continuous learning journey begins at the foundational level with our Graduate Program. It then builds through a variety of professional development offerings, leadership programs, mentoring and Practice-Area led training initiatives. Working in partnership with their line manager, each individual develops their own plan to achieve their goals.
This process takes the shape of an annual cycle of activities, known as our Spiire Development Cycle, which enables rich and meaningful conversations about career aspirations and development, for all Spiire staff.
We believe in a holistic approach to learning that encompasses four key areas: education, experience, exposure and environment. This forms the foundation of our structured programs and underpins our overall development philosophy.
How we learn
Education
We provide a range of formal learning opportunities within Spiire, across many formats, from structured in-person training to online microlearning. We also support our people to pursue external professional development as relevant to their role, such as achieving industry accreditation, participating in conferences or expanding their skillsets through short courses.
Experience
On the job learning is an essential part of our development approach. Our breadth of disciplines and office locations afford many opportunities for people to stretch beyond their own areas of expertise, including through secondments, cross functional projects and taking on increased responsibilities, with the support of experienced consultants.
Exposure
Learning through other people is embedded in Spiire’s culture. This could be from peers in people’s immediate teams, through formal relationships such as buddies or mentors, or through support to participate in working groups and forums within Spiire and the wider industry.
Environment
We equip our people with the systems and tools to support continuous learning journeys. This includes a cyclical calendar of career and development conversations, set within a culture of ongoing two-way feedback and safety to try new things.
Developing as leaders
We create the time and space for our people to step away from their daily work and invest in their development through formal leadership training, tailored for different career stages.
These programs bring together cohorts from across the Spiire network to build deeper connections and greater understanding of different business units.
Participants learn leadership theory and put this knowledge into practice through case studies or applied to real business challenges.
Setting your own course
Civil engineer Matthew Readman can attest to the genuine career pathways available at Spiire. Since joining the business as a Graduate in 2014, he has pursued his passion for project management and led multidisciplinary teams on landmark developments such as Wel.Co’s Thornhill Park in western Melbourne.
Matt credits the strong mentorship and guidance from respected industry leaders, including Mark Breuer, Morne Henderson and John Prentice, with supporting his career aspirations.
“The backing I’ve received from senior staff has allowed me to direct my career path and provided so many opportunities,” he says.
Susan Beff joined our Canberra office in its infancy in 2018, with an initial focus on the training and development of the local civil engineering team. As the office grew, she was supported to carve out a role that matched her interest in improving ways of working.
“I feel like Spiire has provided me with trust and had confidence in me to focus on the back end of what we do; looking into if we can do our work better and new ways of achieving that,” she says.
Susan now applies that passion for continual improvement and technical excellence as the Practice Manager for the Civil Engineering discipline across the business.
