BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
BCIT launches national platform: Modern Methods of Construction Education

The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) launches a national platform, Modern Methods of Construction Education (MMC Edu), bringing education and industry together to advance the future of construction education and training in Canada.

The platform is an outcome of the Mass Timber Training Network: Advancing Trades for a Sustainable Future (MTAT) project. The project convened a national network to support the advancement of wood as a low-carbon building material by addressing major barriers to mass timber adoption across Canada. The MTAT network focuses on education and training as a key vehicle for reducing barriers and empowering the next generation of the workforce with the skills needed to succeed in modernized construction.

In partnership with Natural Resources Canada (NR Can) and the Green Construction Through Wood Program (GC Wood), BCIT is building the foundation for a skilled workforce in mass timber and off-site construction supporting innovation, sustainability, and workforce readiness across the sector.

About Modern Methods of Construction Education

The Modern Methods of Construction Education (MMC Edu) platform serves as the hub that connects MTAT network members, industry partners, and educators with each other and with training resources.

The platform features:

• A list of available training opportunities
• A curriculum framework to facilitate the integration of mass timber and off-site construction training in the trades and other disciplines,
• Faculty development and teaching resources.

MMC Edu aims to address critical challenges in the construction sector, including skills shortages, limited access to standardized training, and gaps in the broader off-site and prefabricated construction ecosystem.

Building momentum through collaboration

MMC Edu reflects the momentum established through the MTAT project activities, including partnership with institutions and organizations across the country to support collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the future adoption of shared training resources.

Throughout several working sessions, MTAT network members have played a key role in identifying and validating the core competencies and educational pathways required for future tradespeople. These efforts ensure that future graduates would be well-prepared to collaborate effectively on projects that employ modern construction methods such as off-site and prefabricated approaches or make use of sustainable materials like mass timber.

In November 2025, Carpentry Faculty from across Canada participated in a three-day Faculty Development Workshop at the BCIT Burnaby Campus. They identified strategies for faculty training and curriculum integration of mass timber and off-site construction approaches, and explored opportunities to strengthen the connection between industry needs and classroom delivery.

Participants gained hands-on experience installing mass timber components through the BCIT Mass Timber Constructability Hub. During this process, they identified innovative experiential learning methods that institutions could use to enhance teaching in areas such as preconstruction planning, moisture management, tolerance, rigging, and the use of mass timber tools among others. Industry experts with experience in the installation and coordination of mass timber projects shared examples and lessons learned that will be used to create case studies and learning materials.

Looking ahead: The Training Framework

The next step for the MTAT project is to focus on developing practical resources, frameworks, and insights that support education, training, and industry adoption across Canada. A key outcome of this work is a national training framework, shaped and validated through collaboration with network stakeholders, and featured on the MMC Edu platform for access and sharing.

The framework provides in-depth guidance on integrating mass timber training into the carpentry trade, including standardized approaches and resources accessible through MMC Edu. Designed to reflect real industry needs, it supports consistent training delivery while allowing flexibility across programs and regions.

The training framework will be released in March 2026. Interested individuals can join the MMC Edu email list to receive updates as the framework is developed.

To learn more about MMC Edu, explore training and collaboration opportunities, and access new resources as they become available, visit mmceducation.ca. Readers are also encouraged to join the MMC Edu network, which connects partners from across Canada and supports collaboration in advancing modern construction education.