The Government has been urged to increase spending on enterprise-led training to €20 million per year, from its current level of around €5 million.

The call is contained in an IBEC survey, to be released today at the employer lobby group's annual human resources conference in Dublin.

IBEC's human resources director said there is a need for a significant rise in company-led training and said there was a need to actively promote the shift towards the knowledge economy.

"Ireland must increase the pace of its transformation, if we are to prosper," he said.

"The survey results point to the necessity for the Government to abolish fees for third-level part-time courses, with an initial prioritisation for those who have not benefited from third level eduction to date and/or are on lower incomes."

The survey found there was an average range of three to five days training per annum per employee. Seven out of 10 companies have training budgets, with an average spend being 3.15 per cent of payroll. More than two -thirds of companies evaluate their training.

The survey found that the key drivers of training and development are health and safety, technological change and customer service.

It also found that one in six employers surveyed now recruit online. Other findings included an increased incidence of flexible working arrangements since 2002, up from 78 per cent to 82 per cent.