Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster and Employment Minster Sir Reg Empey today published research assessing the level of management skills in manufacturing and tradable services firms in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
‘Management Matters in Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland’ was jointly-commissioned by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI), the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), Invest NI, InterTradeIreland and Forfas, the Republic of Ireland’s national policy advisory body for enterprise and science.
The research, which was undertaken by McKinsey & Company and the London School of Economics, compared the levels of managerial skills in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland with those in Great Britain and other countries.
The report reveals that Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are in the ‘mid tier’ performing countries in terms of managerial skills. There is, however, a significant gap with those countries that have the best management practices, such as the US, Germany, Sweden and Japan.
Commenting on the research, the Enterprise Minister said: “This research is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, and once again emphasises the importance of developing managerial skills. In particular, this research shows that Northern Ireland could significantly increase economic output by improving on particular aspects of current management practices, such as defining specific performance targets and taking action to address poor performance."
The Employment Minister added: “This report highlights some very good management practices in Northern Ireland, world class in certain areas, but unfortunately it also shows that we have much to do to improve our management capabilities, particularly in small to medium sized enterprises. My Department is keen to ensure that as much resource as possible is directed to support small companies and my recent announcement of 100% funding for management and leadership training is evidence of that commitment.”
The Enterprise Minister concluded: “The findings of this research will be used to inform the development of the support programmes available to businesses in Northern Ireland. We also welcome the views of the business community and other interested stakeholders on the findings of this research to help inform policy development in this regard.”
The research can be accessed online on either the DETI website or DEL website or , by contacting economics@detini.gov.uk or tel: 028 9052 9513.
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