A skills audit of the North Isles of Shetland is to be undertaken to help attract potential inward investment organisations to the area by identifying the available skills within the islands.

Shetland Enterprise has commissioned Glenarder Ltd to conduct the skills audit which will be used to encourage employers into the area.

Rachel Hunter, development manager at Shetland Enterprise, said: "We anticipate that the information collected will back-up the anecdotal evidence that people living in the North Isles possess a wide range of skills that would be highly attractive to potential employers.

"We would therefore urge all people living in the North Isles to complete their questionnaire as soon as they can and post it back in the pre-paid envelope provided."

The audit will look at the adult working age population of Unst, Yell and Fetlar, which according to the 2001 Census amounts to 1,095 people.

The audit will take place during October and November and information will be collected using questionnaires which will be posted to all persons registered on the North Isles electoral roll (edited version).  It is anticipated that additional questionnaires will be distributed at key locations throughout the isles to enable people not listed on the edited version of the electoral roll to take part in the audit.