Government plans to deliver 50,000 additional apprenticeships have “substantially exceeded”, according to official government statistics.

Last month, the government announced a target of delivering 50,000 additional adult apprenticeship places, while statistics show that the government has actually delivered more than 103,000 additional adult apprenticeship starts over the 2010-11 financial year.

Provisional data also shows there have been 257,000 adult apprenticeship starts delivered between April 2010 and March 2011.

Skills minister John Hayes says: “With the biggest boost in apprenticeship numbers in our history, today marks an historic achievement by learners, employers and training providers. We’ve achieved growth at every level and for all age groups.

“My ambition to grow apprenticeships by 50,000 in the first year of my watch has been met and doubled, bringing the total number of apprenticeships to the biggest in modern history.

“We must do still more. By reducing bureaucracy, improving guidance and opening routes to higher learning we can seed opportunities for thousands of Britons and build the economically successful and socially just nation we crave.”