Birch Group Deconstruction Academy Launches Minnesota’s First Deconstruction Specialist Certification Program

Birch Group’s Hybrid Academy Trains Certified Deconstructors to Lead the Sustainable Design Revolution

NEW BRIGHTON, MN, UNITED STATES, October 29, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Birch Group, a Minnesota-based nonprofit sustainability leader, is shaking up the construction industry with the relaunch of Minnesota’s first Certified Deconstruction Specialist program. This groundbreaking certification transforms traditional demolition into a powerful tool for climate resilience and green workforce development.

Hosted at Birch Group’s Deconstruction Academy and sponsored in part by Hennepin County, this hybrid program blends online learning with hands-on fieldwork at Birch Group’s New Brighton sustainable home project. Participants aren’t just learning how to take buildings apart; they’re learning how to rebuild the future.

“Our Deconstruction certification provides a pathway to green careers by training workers in the practical skills of deconstruction and salvage,” said Petrina Rhines, Executive Director of Birch Group. “We’re not just diverting waste, we’re rewriting how communities think about construction, value materials, while building economic opportunities.”

From Waste to Workforce: A New Era of Building

Each year, U.S. construction and demolition projects generate over 600 million tons of debris, according to the EPA. Most of it ends up buried in landfills. Valuable lumber, windows, fixtures, and architectural details are lost forever.

Birch Group’s Deconstruction Academy flips that equation. Through careful, systematic disassembly, often called “unbuilding”, trainees learn to preserve, reclaim, and repurpose materials that would otherwise be discarded. The result: less waste, more employment opportunities, and stronger local reuse networks.
The program offers two certification levels:

-Certified Deconstruction Specialist, an advanced credential for project leads and entrepreneurs managing deconstruction and salvage operations.

-Certified Deconstruction Technician, for those entering the field with a focus on tools, safety, and materials recovery.

A Workforce Solution to a National Problem

The construction industry faces a critical skilled labor shortage, with retirements outpacing new entrants. Birch Group’s training tackles this head-on, not just by filling jobs, but by creating purpose-driven careers rooted in environmental impact.

“Deconstruction isn’t just another trade,” said Rhines. “It’s a movement, one that empowers workers to protect the planet while earning a living wage.”

Key Program Highlights:

-Hybrid Learning: A flexible mix of online instruction and hands-on fieldwork.

-Real-World Application: On-site training in disassembling framing, flooring, fixtures, and architectural elements for reuse.

-Instructor Expertise: Courses led by seasoned builders and deconstruction professionals and not career academics.

-Sustainability at the Core: Students learn how reclaimed materials feed directly into Minnesota’s circular economy.

Why Minnesota and Why Now

Minnesota has long been a leader in environmental stewardship, but as cities adopt sustainability ordinances and landfill diversion targets, the state needs a trained green workforce. Birch Group’s initiative directly aligns with those goals, offering a scalable model that can serve both urban redevelopment and rural revitalization.

Enrollment Now Open

Fall classes are underway, and applications for the next certification cohort open in Winter 2025 for the Spring 2026 sessions.

Interested participants can learn more by signing up at deconstructionacademy.org.

The Deconstruction Academy was also the first to launch the Deconstruction Specialist Certification in 2022, setting the statewide standard for deconstruction training. The 2025 relaunch expands course offerings, on-site field labs, and additional online learning modules further to professionalize the green building and material reuse industry.

About Birch Group Deconstruction Academy

Launched in 2021, Birch Group established the first-ever Deconstruction Academy in the state, a pioneering hybrid training program that combines online coursework with hands-on field experience. Sponsored by Hennepin County since 2022, the Academy provides comprehensive education in sustainable building practices, material recovery, and reuse through certified workforce training.

The Deconstruction Academy was also the first to launch the Deconstruction Specialist Certification in 2022, setting the statewide standard for deconstruction training. The 2025 relaunch expands our course offerings, on-site field labs, and online learning modules further to professionalize the green building and material reuse industry.

Petrina Rhines
Birch Group
+1 612-323-9333
info@thebirchgroup.org
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