The aim of this paper is to discuss whether ‘social competence’ is necessary for engineers to contributeto sustainable development and if it is, how to teach communication, group-processes and leadershipin technical environments like engineering education programmes. The article reflects on a pedagogicalproject carried out in the education of land surveyors in Sweden, aimed to develop and test a pedagogicalmodel for teaching engineering students ‘social competence’. The findings showed that use of theories insocial sciences and group oriented teaching may contribute to training communicative skills. But to includesocial competence in the engineering education it is necessary to start with the teachers’ roles, trainingthem in demonstrating the social dimensions in the professional situations. It also could be of great valueto invite engineers from various workplaces to act like role models within the education programme.