The number of apprentices in Britain has risen by 16.7% since last year, according to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).

Latest figures from the LSC indicate a total of 176,631 16- to 21-year-olds joined apprenticeship schemes in 2003-04, compared with 151,363 in the previous year. The increase is ahead of the government's annual target of 175,000.

The number of drop-outs has also fallen. Almost 40% of apprentices completed their course in 2003-04, compared with just 24% in 2001-02.

Chris Banks, Chairman of the Learning and Skills Council said: "Meeting this target is only the beginning. There is a great deal of work ahead as we move on to a new challenge; that is to ensure that more and more young people successfully complete the apprenticeships they start."

The LSC is now working towards a target of increasing the number of apprentices who complete their course by 75%, from a figure of 43,243 in 2002 / 03 to 75,675 in 2007/08

In 2005/06 four sectors have been highlighted for urgent action, healthcare, child care, construction and hospitality.