IoD Northern Ireland's annual members' survey, conducted by Millward Brown Ulster and published today, records the barriers to business growth about which directors want the IoD to lobby the Executive.

In the latest survey, directors named education and skills development, fiscal and other measures to encourage investment and infrastructure improvements as the top three priorities.

Joanne Stuart, chairman of IoD Northern Ireland, said: "A year ago business tax and red tape headed the list of issues but I believe the new survey reflects the desire of the wider business community to address the fundamental building blocks of the Northern Ireland economy.

"IoD will work with government to identify programmes that can develop skills, deliver a more agile workforce and address the gaps so that short-term skills shortages are reduced. We need government departments to work together to produce a rapid response."

Ms Stuart added: "Meeting the longer-term skills needs of Northern Ireland means we must start now on building an education system that provides the basic foundations — not just literacy, numeracy and ICT, but also employability through the teaching of problem solving, teamwork and presentation skills.

"Our recent policy paper, the 1.7 Challenge, makes it clear that investment in education and skills, coupled with a strong careers strategy to help young people make the right choices for both themselves and the economy, is essential for growing indigenous business and attracting new investment."

At the same time, she said, members recognised that fiscal incentives were required to stimulate investment and that a top quality infrastructure was critical to Northern Ireland's economic development in the 21st century.