London mayor Boris Johnson's drive to offer more apprenticeship opportunities across the capital has reached its target of 20,000 three months ahead of schedule.

Working in partnership with the National Apprenticeship Service, the initiative has recruited more than 28,000 to apprenticeship schemes across a range of sectors. The National Theatre is one of the organisations to announce a new scheme as part of a bid to continue the campaign's success, with two technical opportunities opening in 2012.

National Theatre head of human resources Tony Peers said: "The National's new apprenticeships stem from our determination to open up pathways into all aspects of theatre-making for young people. "We intend to broaden the apprenticeship programme across other areas of the theatre in due course."