The EU is on course to miss its flagship Digital Decade target of employing 20 million information and communications technology (ICT) specialists by 2030, according to a new Eurofound report.
Missing the target by around five million workers raises questions whether Brussels is doing enough to tackle persistent skills shortages, improve working conditions, and retain talent.
“The results are not surprising in the slightest,” Kevin Flynn, policy and communications adviser at Eurocadres, told EUobserver.
Employment in the ICT sector has expanded rapidly over the past decade, growing by 7-8 percent annually, compared with just over one percent across the wider economy.
But the report concludes that education and vocational training systems are failing to produce enough skilled workers to meet demand.
