How Can Construction Professionals Upskill in MMC for 2026? Part 1

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) are becoming increasingly common in Ireland. This stems both from broader industry adoption of lean construction principles, sustainability measures, and digital building tools, as well as backing from government for policy reform. Education institutions are the third in the trifecta needed to entrench MMC. So, what training courses are Irish universities developing to teach the skills future-ready building professionals will need to excel in the industry for years to come? 

Atlantic Technological University 

Atlantic Technological University (ATU) has multiple campuses in the west and northwest of Ireland (with many courses also taught fully online). Teaching everything from advanced manufacturing systems to fire safety to quality management, ATU is one of the most comprehensive educators of topics in the built environment nationwide. 

ATU also took this feedback onboard to update the Postgraduate Certificate in BIM and Lean Construction Management in advance of the 2025 academic year. MOOC courses are free for everyone to access, after registering, at Free Courses ATU. 

Future Cast is a key partner for ATU in teaching building professionals in the region. The centre for innovation, research, and training is in Co. Leitrim, while there is also a MEP training and assessment facility in Co. Roscommon. ATU is working with Future Cast to provide demos in modern technologies, while a PhD student at ATU is using Future Cast to research lower carbon concrete for use in the centre’s 3D concrete printer. 

This symbiotic link between training and the need of industry is a major part of ATU’s teaching philosophy, according to David: “Collaboration with industry on projects drives research and innovation, as well as identifying the need for upskilling.” This connection extends to ATU’s academic and research teams too, who regularly engage with industry providers to stay updated on developments with relevant software.  

Student feedback is also integral to ATU making courses relevant to addressing skills gaps and preparing students to maximise opportunities for bringing the sector forward. 

University College Cork

 Founded in 1845, University College Cork (UCC) is one of Ireland’s longest-standing universities, with programmes related to engineering and the built environment taught there for more than 150 years. But this traditional institution has all eyes on the future when it comes to training modern architects capable of designing modern buildings. 

One of the core Continuous Professional Development CPD) programmes for UCC here is ‘Reviving Buildings’. This CPD programme was built with the expertise of graduates, practising architects, and members of allied professions. 

First run as a ‘Train the Trainer’, this programme is grounded in a fundamental idea that the greenest building is the one already built. Rather than discarding the embodied carbon invested in these structures, adaptive reuse preserves ‘banked’ resources while upgrading buildings to modern energy standards. Recent research analysing more than one million buildings confirms this approach: extending building lifespans with renovated structures delivers significantly lower whole-life carbon emissions than demolition and rebuild. 

UCC runs two other courses related to Modern Methods of Construction. The first is a micro-credential in Digital Storytelling and Immersive Fictions to, as Maroun put it, to “facilitate trans-disciplinary innovation on future-ready architecture by providing a common language — stories — for people from different disciplines to communicate.”  

The other module teaches the reuse and repurposing existing structures – a core principle in sustainable construction. Dr Michael O’Shea, Lecturer in Structural Engineering, developed the micro-credential to support both construction professionals and engineering students at Masters level. In the course, learners learn how to utilise Modern Method of Construction to sustainably reuse existing buildings. 

Technological University of the Shannon 

Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), spanning campuses in Limerick, Tipperary, Clare and Westmeath, offers a range of flexible special purpose awards and micro-credentials teaching skills relevant to Modern Methods of Construction. This includes decarbonising the built environment, energy renovations and retrofit, Building Information Modelling, regulations compliance, construction procurement, and more.  

These programmes are developed by experts in the Department of Engineering, Built Environment & Informatics, in consultation with industry, and reviewed periodically. 

The recent focus in the Department has been working in tandem with the university’s Flexible and Professional Learning Office to develop “flexible learning that is responsive to industry”. Seamus Hoyne, Dean of Flexible and Work Based Learning at TUS, added: 

Seamus added that TUS works with other educators to offer learners the amenities needed, included Limerick & Clare ETB and IDEAM Research Institute, a multi-disciplinary centre focused on collaborative research projects and regional training. Pat added that all TUS lecturers can bring in two guest lecturers from industry each academic semester, giving learners access to up-to-date market skills and knowledge. 

In recent years TUS has developed key micro-credentials in BIM with Revit Architecture and Whole Life Carbon Assessment, to meet industry demand for these skillsets. In collaboration with ATU, TUS has also developed more than 40 new programmes in the area of the sustainable built environment via the DASBE initiative. 

In 2026 and looking further ahead, Pat points to the adoption of AI into teaching within the Department of Built Environment as important to improving learning outcomes. 

To take your skillset to a new level in 2026, explore all the options for upskilling in Modern Methods of Construction available on Skillnet MMC Accelerate.