If Alan Sugar really wants to fins an apprentice, he might want to look in Swindon.

The town can boast 1,210 people starting on genuine apprenticeship schemes in the nine months to April this year, according to the Department for Education.

And 560 people in Swindon achieved an apprenticeship qualification over the same period.

The most popular subject area chosen by the apprentices was business, administration and law. Health, public services and care, and engineering and manufacturing technologies were the next most sought after.

Apprenticeship and skills minister Anne Milton said apprenticeships could be a passport into a range of exciting industries such as nuclear, food science, law, engineering, digital technology, nursing and planning.

The Government says it will be focusing on improving apprenticeships in the 65 most deprived local authorities over the next two years.

An apprentice will typically spend one day a week studying at a college or training organisation, while training on the job under the wing of experienced employees.

For more details of schemes in Swindon visit findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk