The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is putting a further £38 million into apprenticeships in a bid to meet its targets of increasing this year's cohort of apprentices to 175,000.

Part of the money will fund new apprentice places and will be directed to employers and training providers. Stephen Gardner, the LSC's Director of Work Based Learning, said: "Apprenticeship providers have been reporting waiting lists and the additional funds will ensure that every employer who wishes to recruit an apprentice can do so."

"The number of young people completing their apprenticeship has risen steadily from 28% in 2003/04 to 33% in the current year. In construction - one of the key employment sectors for apprenticeships - the completion rate has risen by eight per cent to 30%."

The LSC and the Department for Education and Skills launched a new, expanded 'family' of apprenticeships in May last year to succeed the former Modern Apprenticeships. At the same time the LSC began a nationwide marketing and advertising campaign targeted at increasing the number of employers offering places.

The campaign has increased the take up of apprenticeships by employers and by young people. The number of young people aged 16-24 who are currently taking an apprenticeship now exceeds 255,000 - a record figure which compares with 75,800 trainees in 1997.