The Construction Specifications Institute announced a couple of education programs taking shape to aid the commercial/institutional construction industry's transition to the groundbreaking 2004 edition of MasterFormat(tm), the long-awaited revision of specifications and other information for construction projects that is scheduled for release by the year's end.

One type of program being developed is customized education for users - architectural, engineering, construction firms, etc. The other is an Accredited Instructor Program to prepare people from various segments of the industry to teach others about MasterFormat's 2004 edition. Programs are also being developed for the annual CSI show in Chicago, April 20-23, 2005.

In anticipation of its release, a number of major public and private construction organizations have decided to make the transition to the new edition, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Navy Facilities Engineering Command, the Sweets construction product catalog, Reed Construction Data's First Source, and Victor O. Schinnerer & Co., one of the largest professional liability insurance underwriters.