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Purpose: This paper aims to assess the perception of the Ghanaian construction industry of the performance of entry-level building technology graduates. Also, other non-technical skills or attributes expected from building technology graduates are to be compared with the actual proficiency of the graduates. Design/methodology/approach: The findings in this paper are based on a series of interviews and structured questionnaire survey of randomly selected contractors and consultants in the Ghanaian construction industry. Findings: The overall performance of the graduates was considered acceptable by the construction industry. However, much more needed to be done in "coordination" and "scheduling" of site activities by graduates who work as site managers, and in "coordination of site activities" and "issuance of site instructions" for those who work as project managers for contractors. There was a considerable gap between the expectations of the construction industry practitioners and the actual proficiency of building technology graduates in "initiative and creativity", "practical building knowledge", "ability to define and solve problems", and other equally important attributes. The graduates, however, met the expectations of contractors in "computer literacy", "communication skills", and "interpersonal skills", and consultants in "computer literacy" and "leadership capability". Social implications: The results of the study enable entry-level graduates to realize their deficiencies for continual improvement, and the training institution to develop training curricula responsive to the needs of the industry. Originality/value: Even though results from this study generally show a disparity in the expected and actual proficiency levels of building technology graduates, as frequently reported in the literature, it provides a new insight into this problem by providing evidence to the effect that the problem is only manifest in some specific non-technical skill requirements. (Contains 6 tables.)

This paper aimed at examining challenges and benefits associated with the incorporation of information technology in Ghanaian Quantity Surveying practice. A structured questionnaire survey was carried out to solicit the views of 45 Chief Quantity Surveyors of quantity surveying firms in Kumasi and Accra on the issue under investigation. The findings from the study revealed that the Microsoft project, Autodesk Quantity Takeoff, Masterbill, In-house software, QSPlus and QS Elite are the six most frequently used Quantity Surveying softwares in quantity surveying practices. The results further showed that 'inadequate training and education in the use of IT tools', 'high cost of innovation/learning a new technology' and 'low margins resulting in little scope for investment in IT innovation and learning are the topmost challenges to the adoption of IT in QS practices. Increase in productivity through streamlined data entry and management', 'increased productivity through automated quantities and cost calculations and improved savings in operation cost are among the benefits perceived to be associated with the adoption of IT in Quantity Surveying practice. Identification of the challenges and knowing the benefits associated with the adoption of IT should encourage industry practitioners to embrace the future prospects of IT adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]