The strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (known as ET 2020) adopted a benchmark to be achieved by 2020, namely, that the share of early leavers from education and training should be not more than 10 % in the EU-28.

According to the Eurostat “Early leavers from education and training”, In 2017, an average of 10.6 % of young people (aged 18-24) in the EU-28 were early leavers from education and training, in other words, they had completed at most a lower secondary education and were not in further education or training during the four weeks preceding the survey. Early leavers from education and training may face heightened difficulties in the labour market. Those not in employment may or may not want to work. In 2017, the 10.6 % of early leavers from education and training were composed as such: a 4.7 % share of the EU-28’s population aged 18-24 were early leavers in employment, while 3.7 % were early leavers not employed but wanting to work, and the remaining early leavers (2.2 % of the population aged 18-24) were not employed and did not want to work.

Education and career guidance plays an essential part in motivating students affected by SLD and SLI and keeping them engaged in education. It not only provides them with information on the study options and work prospects available, but also helps to identify the careers that may interest them. Guidance staff also support young people suffering from SLD and SLI in developing the skills they need to make good decisions and they enable them to manage their choices better and take responsibility for their own personal growth and development. “Step by Step” (SBS) project is aimed at reducing the above mentioned phenomenon by sharing good practice among EU partners in order to duplicate successfull supportive scheme for school teachers / mentors, business mentors with the puropose of keep SLD and SLI learners motivated by means of Work-Based Learning WBL interconned activities. SBS is aimed at creating a network of international partners actively engaged in fighting early school leaving by stimulating the pro-active attidute of SLD and SLI learners and entrepreneurial spirits.