BToneinthree

Key skills such as communication, basic IT and customer service have been identified as lacking, according to a Federation of Small Businesses survey.

The FSB Lifting The Barriers To Growth report, which highlights the essential skills and training needed for a world class economy, contains an action plan for small businesses.

It also recommends that DEL and DETI should be merged to create a new Department of Enterprise, Employment and Learning.

This, the report says, would provide a cutting edge in the creation of a new skills-led enterprise economy.

Wilfred Mitchell, FSB policy chairman, said: "Between one-third and one-quarter of business owners in Northern Ireland report shortages of managerial skills, communication skills, customer service skills, basic IT skills, advanced IT skills, sales and marketing skills and technical skills among their current staff.

"Compared with other regions, problems are worse in Northern Ireland with respect to communication skills, customer service skills, basic IT skills and foreign languages, but relatively better with respect to advanced IT skills, sales and marketing skills, technical skills and literacy."

The proportion of businesses reporting skill shortages when trying to recruit new staff is even higher.

Northern Ireland businesses said their greatest difficulties are in accessing staff with managerial skills (63%), communication skills (59%), customer service skills (53%), basic IT (49%), technical skills (44%), literacy skills (36%) and numeracy skills (26%).

"As education, skills and training are inextricably linked, having two departments tasked with the education and enterprise remit is creating duplication and confusion," said Mr Mitchell.

"Our report makes a number of other policy recommendations which the FSB believes will be essential if Government is to make the step-change needed to address the major gap in skills and training which is essential to the creation of a successful economy."