Employers value team-working and an ability to communicate ahead of leadership skills, a new survey showed.

A survey of 800 firms to mark Learning at Work Day revealed that understanding money and being a potential leader are the least important skills.

Self-motivation, problem-solving, motivation, ability to work in a team and good communication skills are the most important.

The study, by the Learning and Skills Council, showed that women value inter-personal skills more importantly than men.

Spokesman Rob Wye said: "Soft skills should be part of everyone's professional make-up and need to be nurtured to bring out the best in people."

A union group aimed at promoting learning called for a new partnership between employers and unions to improve workers' skills.

Liz Smith, director of Unionlearning, said: "Together, unions and employers can make a real difference to the learning opportunities available."