BCFSC: BC Forest Safety Council: Supervisory Leadership & Safety Training

Case Study

Redesigning a multi-day, in-person training program into two highly targeted, cost-effective online courses using action mapping and scenario-based learning for the forestry sector.

The British Columbia Forest Safety Council (BCFSC) is the Health and Safety Association for forest harvesting, sawmills, and pellet manufacturing in British Columbia. They work closely with forest sector employers, workers, unions, contractors, and provincial government agencies to support industry changes necessary to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries.

Training Goals

Target Learning Audience: Supervisors working across both the field harvesting sector and the wood product manufacturing sector.

Scope: Re-engineering a multi-day, location-bound corporate training curriculum into a scalable online format.

Strategic Adaption: Creating two customized variations of the training program from a single legacy source to serve distinct branches of the industry efficiently.

Project Snapshot

Client: British Columbia Forest Safety Council (BCFSC)

Scope: 2 Custom, Multi-Module eLearning Courses

Format: Self-Paced eLearning (Asynchronous)

Tools: Action Mapping, SME Workshops, Scenario-Based Learning, Custom Video Production

The PathWise Process: Our Instructional Design Approach

PathWise Solutions partnered with BCFSC to translate their highly successful, multi-day live workshop into a highly flexible and cost-effective digital learning curriculum.

Step 1: Strategic Analysis & Alignment

Our discovery process relied on active Action Mapping. We led intensive brainstorming and alignment workshops with multiple Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from across various wood product and forestry professions.

We focused on mapping specific professional competencies, clarifying target audience actions, and defining behavioral goals. This detailed analysis created a rigorous blueprint that shaped and organized the entire course structure.

Step 2: Creative Design & Development

To make the material resonate deeply with field workers, we collaborated with industry professionals to harvest real-world workplace scenarios. We then developed these concepts into robust, decision-based instructional simulations.

We also designed a highly flexible framework to maximize the client’s budget. By carefully tracking overlapping topics, we masterfully dual-purposed core learning materials—first tailoring them for manufacturing supervisors, then efficiently adapting them back to the forestry audience.

Step 3: Interactive Implementation

We prioritized authentic peer-to-peer insights over passive reading to ensure maximum engagement and retention in an asynchronous format.

Active Collaboration: PathWise produced and edited custom video interviews featuring active field personnel sharing critical safety perspectives. By embedding these field insights at key instructional moments, we successfully replicated the real-world wisdom and professional dialogue of the original in-person sessions.

View an example of the course structure on BCFS’s course page.

Project Outcomes

Transitioning location-bound safety training into accessible, high-value, and dual-targeted digital assets.

Successfully redeveloped a massive multi-day classroom program into two distinct, high-impact online courses serving separate arms of the sector.

Delivered maximum ROI for the client’s budget by drawing on a unified base of expert knowledge and smartly modifying resources for dual audiences.

Provided the industry with unprecedented training flexibility, eliminating mandatory travel constraints while fully maintaining the quality and safety standards of BCFSC.