Chief technology officers across the country are demanding IT support from the government, a recent survey has revealed.

According to statistics presented by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), 78 per cent of 811 members interviewed agreed that workforce development skills should be supported by the government.

One such way that was proposed was to introduce tax breaks as a way to free up extra investment for such companies.

Many are attributing the cutbacks currently experienced in such departments to the effects of the recession, which is taking its toll on businesses across the UK.

CMI chief economist John Eatwell said: "Business managers are convinced that a skilled workforce will be an integral part of the recovery process, and are recommending that, especially in these difficult times, government should provide further financial support for skills development and training."

The CMI was established over 50 years ago and represents 70,000 individuals working in management roles across the country and in a wide variety of sectors.

A recent Connect survey found that the two major concerns about outsourcing services like IT support were 'loss of control' (56 per cent) and 'budget over-runs' (43 per cent).