Group Training Australia-Tasmania executive officer Geoff Fader said the figure was the same across the country.

He said the association had established two unique programs statewide to tackle what he described as a ``major problem''.

``They're unemployable because their literacy and numeracy is such, they would be a danger to themselves and others in the workplace,'' Mr Fader said.

``It's not because we don't like them or they haven't got good physical dexterity or capability to do the job. In every other respect we like them but at the end of the day, they're our responsibility.'' Tasmania's adult literacy rate is the lowest in the country, sitting at 49 per cent. One in two adults lacks the basic skills to comprehend information from a newspaper or magazine.

Mr Fader said the association employed 850 apprentices and requires 250 new people to start each year. He described this search as a struggle.

Mr Fader, who is also the Tasmanian Small Business Council president, said a lack of basic literacy skills was a problem he continually heard from employers.

To address the problem, Mr Fader helped to establish the Successful Pathways program four years ago.

This has helped young apprentices get their literacy skills up to the standard required of their workplace and about 200 were going through the program each year.

The Getting There program, which has been running for 12 months, has seen about 80 potential apprentices.

Mr Fader said in the first six months, the program referred 63 young people to literacy and numeracy teachers for one-on-one help.

Of those 63, only 34 took up the offer. He said half of those who had accepted the help were now employed, while others had decided to return to school.

Mr Fader thinks that schools should focus on the literacy basics instead of offering vocational subjects.

``In the first instance, these kids are very keen and want to work,'' Mr Fader said.

``But they're coming out of government sponsored education completely ill-equipped for life and for employment.''