Paper 5. A contractor's view

SYNOPSIS. The management of major contracting companies is being drawn increasingly from disciplines other than the traditional civil engineering and building construction base. Whilst this change in balance has been significantly affected by the diversification of their activities, particularly in recent years, it is most certainly partly because the training of engineers does not adequately equip them for the increasingly complex business world in which they will have to practice. Perhaps the industry in its many parts has failed to adequately communicate its emerging needs and that in addition the educational and training programmes have not been adjusted to encompass its current and future requirements.