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According to the UNESCO a person will be characterized as functional alliterated when she or he cannot get engaged in all those activities in which literacy is required for effective function of his or her group and community and also for enabling him or her to continue to use reading, writing and calculation for his or her own and the community’s development.

Among those especially young people barely have a change to enter the job market right from the start. And without access to the job market, they also miss out on social and political participation in society. The exact number of functional illiterates and people without basic skill can only be estimated.

Despite the fact that good qualified employees are looked after, these young people are not available for the labour market. Furthermore the lack of professional qualifications has a substantial impact on the individual, social and economic development of the people concerned as well as on the economic development if the relevant countries in general. It is increasingly important, therefore, that young adults are supported to develop their literacy, language and numeracy skills.