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Recent government White Papers on competitiveness have confirmed the central role played by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in revitalising the economy, and small businesses figure prominently in the recently revised lifetime learning targets for education and training in industry. Recognising the importance of this SME role, this study - involving interviews with 2,000 SME owner/managers in the West Midlands region - was designed to identify the key factors influencing attitudes to and take-up of training within small firms. In addition to the low awareness and low value accorded to National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) in the occupational sectors studied, the crucial importance of the quality of 'incubator' training of owner/managers was identified as a key factor determining training policy. In the light of these findings, recommendations are made involving clear distinctions between SME needs, the national training effort and policies surrounding NVQs.