Employers are reporting significant falls in skills gaps following huge investments in training and development, according to the National Employer Skills Survey.

The annual survey of more than 74,000 employers, released by the Learning and Skills Council, found that:

• The number of employers with a skills gap in their company has fallen from 22 per cent in 2003 to 16 per cent in 2005
• The number of individuals identified by their employer as having a skills gap has dropped from 11 per cent in 2003 to 6 per cent in 2005
• Employers in England spent more than £33 billion on staff training in the last 12 months
• Nearly two thirds (65 per cent) of employers funded or arranged training for their workforce in the previous 12 months
  
• 61 per cent of the workforce received some form of training in the previous 12 months.