Courses are designed to be more like work

The National Foundation for Educational Research found that 90% of those finishing courses last year, the first group to do so, had stayed on.

The target set by the Learning and Skills Council had been 75%.

Eight work-based subjects are offered at GCSE, including health and social care, engineering and tourism.

'More relevant'

John Ratcliff, manager of 14 to 19 learning at the Learning and Skills Council, said: "The programme has been a resounding success in encouraging those young people to carry on their studies."

He added: "By enhancing the range of vocational and work related GCSEs and, crucially, working with employers to agree their syllabus and scope, young people's studies are much more relevant to them and to the labour market, with all the personal and business benefits that brings."

VOCATIONAL GCSEs Applied business Applied information and communications technology Applied science Engineering Health and social care Leisure and tourism Manufacturing Applied art and design

Each vocational GCSE is considered the equivalent of two normal ones, as it incorporates academic work and on-the-job experience.

There were 113,202 entries across the UK last year, still a small number when compared with the overall 5.8 million for ordinary GCSEs.

Fiona Harris, 17 from Bournemouth, finished a health and social care course last year and is now studying for A-levels.

She said: "I've always known I wanted to go into nursing, so I jumped at the chance to study health and social care whilst still at school.