Halfway through a project is a terrible time to discover what you wish you’d known at the start.
What happens when an Owner and their advisor reach a critical decision and realize they never agreed on who has the final say? Or when a team discovers a choice made during Progressive Design-Build procurement is complicating the work months later? Those are lessons that can come with a hefty price tag, especially when the project is already in motion.
DBIA’s 2027 Education Schedule is now available, giving Owners and industry practitioners an opportunity to prepare for those decisions before they become urgent. And this year, there are some added benefits worth a closer look.
AIA Health, Safety and Welfare (HSW) credits are now available across DBIA’s elective courses and certification workshops, giving architects more opportunities to meet continuing education requirements while developing their design-build expertise. There’s also new certification workshop and Collaborative Delivery Leadership Academy formats coming in 2027 that may be particularly appealing to professionals with crowded work day schedules.
More Opportunities to Earn HSW Credits
Continuing education is most valuable when what you learn helps solve a problem you’re actually facing. With DBIA’s elective courses now approved for AIA HSW credits, architects don’t have to choose between meeting licensure requirements and gaining practical knowledge they can put to work.
DBIA’s Progressive Design-Build Done Right® course, for example, goes beyond explaining the delivery approach. It examines when Progressive Design-Build makes sense and how procurement decisions influence what happens after award. Participants learn from real-world case studies presented by experienced Owners and practitioners.
And that Owner Advisor question from earlier? DBIA has a course for it. The Role of the Design-Build Done Right Owner Advisor® examines what Owners should expect from their advisors and where responsibilities need to be clearly defined. It’s a particularly relevant conversation as more Owners turn to outside expertise to help manage increasingly complex projects.
Other electives address challenges that aren’t solved by selecting the right contract. DBIA’s Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) courses help teams develop plans that connect technology to actual project objectives. Courses focused on conceptual estimating and design integration management offer additional opportunities to strengthen the knowledge teams rely on throughout delivery.
All of these electives now offer AIA HSW credits, adding continuing education value to training that helps professionals approach their next project with greater confidence.
Leadership Development Gets More Flexible, Too
Leading a team when everyone’s used to working in their own lane is challenging enough. Finding time for leadership development shouldn’t be.
In 2027, DBIA’s six-course Collaborative Delivery Leadership Academy will introduce a new on-demand option, allowing participants to complete the Mindset, Trust and Culture courses at their own pace. Leadership, Teaming and Communication will remain in person, preserving the collaborative learning experience at the heart of the program.
The foundational Leadership course will also be available as a standalone offering before each of DBIA’s national conferences, giving professionals another opportunity to develop their leadership skills without rearranging their entire work schedules.
More Flexibility for Certification Candidates
For professionals considering DBIA® or Assoc. DBIA® certification, there’s good news on two fronts.
DBIA’s three-day certification workshops are also approved for AIA HSW credits, allowing participants to earn continuing education credit while completing the core coursework required for certification.
The workshops cover the principles of Design-Build Done Right®, including the contractual and risk management issues that distinguish design-build from other delivery methods. The curriculum hasn’t changed, but the HSW approval recognizes its relevance to protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public.
And beginning in 2027, professionals will have another way to fit that education into their schedules.
A new Friday-through-Sunday certification workshop option joins DBIA’s existing formats. Traditional in-person and live virtual workshops remain available, along with extended virtual workshops that spread instruction across multiple dates. The new weekend format gives certification candidates a fourth option without requiring them to set aside three consecutive work days.
The Schedule Is Open. Make Some Room.
It’s easy to tell yourself you’ll find time for professional development once things settle down. Anyone working in design and construction knows how that usually goes.
With expanded HSW credit opportunities, new weekend certification workshops and more flexible leadership training, DBIA’s 2027 Education Schedule gives professionals more ways to make room for learning.
Take a look at the schedule before 2027 gets here. Think about the challenges your team is likely to encounter next year or the areas where you’d like to be more confident.
You can’t anticipate every decision the next project will demand, but you can give yourself a better chance of being ready for it.
Explore DBIA’s online 2027 Education Schedule or download the flyer to find courses, dates and registration information.
