Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) offers significant potential to overcome barriers to accelerate the building of quality, sustainable, affordable housing. A Coordinated educational rollout is paramount to support this industry transformation. Building CRC 4.0, in collaboration with Monash University, is working with the NSW State Government department, Homes NSW, to identify opportunities for training and skills development across both the organisation and the sector. However, the literature reveals few examples of strong links between education and emerging housing model initiatives. A new approach is required to provide targeted educational support that enables effective management of change for the adoption of new affordable housing initiatives.
Project #95, Homes NSW -B2. Training & Education is investigating the future of construction industry education, with a focus on Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). Research activities included semi-structured interviews, industry partner forums, and global benchmarking, incorporating international perspectives from thought experts.
Interviews with government leaders from Sweden, the UK and Singapore revealed valuable insights into the role governments can play in driving sector transformation and positioning the construction industry for change.
Industry transformation can be low-risk and incremental, as championed by Jerker Lessing, however all players within the ecosystem - including architects, site managers, suppliers, contractors, logistic managers, trades and facility managers - require educational opportunities to close the knowledge gap and elevate the capability in MMC across the sector.
This research underscores the need for a tailored MMC educational framework that addresses the diverse range of knowledge and skills within both government organisations and the broader industry. It highlights the potential role of government in enabling sector transformation.
This research contributes to sector-wide transformation by identifying gaps in knowledge and capacity across government and industry by mapping a scalable, future-ready educational program of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC)