The ranking was published by the Institute for Management Development, a business school from Lausanne, Switzerland, of which the NVK is a partner. The ranking evaluates a country's potential to develop, attract and keep talented people in order to create a pool of talent necessary for companies to operate in their fields.
Switzerland is ranked first, followed by Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Austria, Luxembourg and Hong Kong.
Of the EU newcomers, the best ranked country is Poland, 29th. It is followed by the Czech Republic (31st), Slovenia (35th), Slovakia (39th), Hungary (50th), Romania (52nd), Croatia (53rd) and Bulgaria (57th).
The ranking is based on more than 30 indicators - statistics and indicators obtained through interviews with business people, which are divided into three main groups - investment and development, appeal and readiness.
As for the first group of indicators, which refers to improvement of the quality of the education system, Croatia is ranked 38th. In the second group, which assesses a country's appeal to talents and its capacity to attract new ones, it is ranked 58th, and as regards its readiness to meet the market needs, it is ranked 57th.
"The latest report points to the need to urgently reform the education system and encourage life-long learning as a precondition for creating a more competitive society and economy," NVK president Ivica Mudrinic said, pointing also to the importance of job creation and professional affirmation in keeping and attracting talented people.