Europe must quickly tackle a shortage of 1.6 million skilled IT workers if it wants to overtake the United States in the new economy, European Commission president Mr Romano Prodi said today.
Presenting his 10-point program for next month's EU summit in Stockholm, Mr Prodi called upon EU leaders to take advantage of Europe's economic recovery.
"The current good health of the European economy must encourage its leaders to commit to reforms at the social and economic level and not lower their guard," he said.
A looming shortfall of 1.6 million skilled IT jobs, he said, "puts into peril the efforts made by Europe to catch up and develop its growth economy".
Mr Prodi said the EU must adopt more ambitious common policies in education and training. EU member states also needed to rethink their immigration policies, with an eye to luring more high-level managers and technicians from abroad.
"For the moment it is the United States that is attracting the brains," Prodi said.
AFP