European Commission Issues an Agenda for the Modernisation of Europe's Higher Education Systems. (October 3, 2011)

In a 16-page report dated September 20, 2011 the European Commission outlines what it sees needs to be done to advance higher education in the 27 countries making up the European Union (36 nations if candidate and potential candidate countries are included).

The document makes the point that 35% of jobs in the EU are likely to require a higher education qualification by 2020. But currently only 26% of the EU workforce holds a degree.

The eight principal aims that the report enumerates:

• boosting the number of graduates to 40% by 2020 (the current EU average is about 34%),

• enabling young people from a broader cross-section of society to attend university and reducing the number of drop outs,

• improving the quality and relevance of university courses to meet the needs of individuals and labour markets,

• stimulating and rewarding excellence in teaching and research,

• providing more opportunities for students to gain additional skills through studying or training abroad,

• training more researchers so Europe has the talent available to meet future needs,

• strengthening the links between education, research and business and,

• ensuring that funding is efficient and achieves its aims.

A major concern: "The EU still lags behind in the share of researchers in the total labour force: 6 per 100, compared to 9 in the US and 11 in Japan. The knowledge economy needs people with the right mix of skills : transversal competences, e-skills for the digital era, creativity and flexibility and a solid understanding of their chosen field (such as in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths [STEM]). But public and private employers, including in research intensive sectors, increasingly report mismatches and difficulties in finding the right people for their evolving needs."

So, if Australia intends to fill gaps in its STEM workforce and higher education system through recruitment in Europe -- "its got Buckley's".

The European Commission agrees that national governments are responsible for education, nevertheless "the EU can do a lot to support their modernisation programmes".

In particular it notes: "This support includes establishing an EU-wide system to rank universities and provide students with information on the most appropriate place of study for them – wherever it is in Europe. A new loan guarantee scheme would help students get access to finance when taking a Masters course in another EU country."

For example "Commission proposals for the next EU budget for 2014 to 2020 also include substantial increases for education, training and youth (+73%), and for research (+46%)".