A new management training centre was launched yesterday by Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment Micheál Martin.

The Small Firms Association (SFA) National Centre for Excellence will provide training and development courses to SME owner-managers from early 2007 onwards. The courses will be heavily subsidised by Fás and will range from leadership and communications to employment law and internet marketing.

Speaking at the launch, Mr Martin described the project as an important response to a key issue facing the SME sector in Ireland. "If there's one area where we need to significantly up our game, it's management competencies and capabilities," he said.

The Minister also outlined plans to establish a management development council next year that will identify training requirements and co-ordinate a response to these needs.

According to the SFA, the amount spent on training in Ireland is 1.5 per cent of payroll, significantly less than the the European average of 4 per cent.

Patricia Callan, director at the SFA, described the new centre (which can be accessed at www.centreofexcellence.ie) as a "one-stop shop" for owner-managers and senior staff in SMEs seeking training and development.

The centre will provide 60 different programmes next year, and roughly 3,000 training days, Ms Callan said. The range of training programmes will be expanded in the future, she added.