New figures from the Learning and Skills Council show increases in the number of students in further education. Between 2001-02 and 2002-03 there was a 1 per cent increase in the number of further education students overall to 3.91 million, and a 4 per cent increase in the number of further education students under 19 years old to 670,000. There was also a 5 per cent increase in the number of students on modern apprenticeship programmes to 224,000.