10 April 2000

BIGGEST EVER SKILLS SURVEY LAUNCHED

More than 5,000 employers from all parts of Northern Ireland are to be included in the biggest ever survey of the Province's skills needs, starting from today, the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Skills Task Force, Bill McGinnis OBE, has revealed.

Speaking as the survey got underway, Mr McGinnis stressed it was vital to Northern Ireland's future economic success that the skills of its workforce best met the needs of employers, both now and in the future.

He said: "If we are to compete and succeed in an increasingly global economy we simply must have a skilled and flexible workforce and that means we need to know exactly how we stand today in terms of our existing skills base.

"This survey will provide us with that information, which in turn will allow us to identify needs and give the best possible advice and guidance to Government on how policies and programmes should be shaped to maximise "Northern Ireland Plc's" potential."

Mr McGinnis explained that the survey, which will be done by telephone, would run from now until the middle of May. It will involve a random sample of 5,500 employers who will be asked to respond on a range of issues, including hard to fill vacancies, retention difficulties and skills gaps. Each call is unlikely to last for more than 15 minutes.

Urging all employers who are contacted to give the survey their full support, Mr McGinnis added: "I am a businessman myself. I know that time means money and that surveys are often seen as a nuisance. But this survey is actually about helping us to help them. It is about making Northern Ireland a better place to do business and at the end of the day that has to be good for everyone."

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The Northern Ireland Skills Task Force was established in early 1999 with the task of providing advice to the providers of education and training on skills issues as they affect Northern Ireland.

For further information, please contact Simon Burrowes on 01232 257831 or 0850 976067.