Matthew has called on the government and more organisations to support apprenticeships as the way to improve skills in the jobs market. 

At the annual Apprenticeship Showcase in Parliament, Matthew met Hendon constituent Rafal, who is undertaking an apprenticeship at The Dorchester. The showcase is an annual event which brings over 100 apprentices from employers across the country to Parliament to advertise their skills and the importance of apprenticeships in the hospitality industry. 

Matthew also recently visited the HS2 West Ruislip site, where he met apprentice Sam who told Matthew about his route into work through the apprenticeship scheme. In a recent reply to a Written Parliamentary Question asked by Matthew, a Minister confirmed that the HS2 programme has recruited over 1,100 apprentices since 2017, over halfway to its target of creating 2,000 apprenticeships over the course of the programme.

Speaking during National Apprenticeship Week, Matthew said that: "A lot of people do not want to go down the academic route of going to university, and so obtaining an apprenticeship gives people the chance to gain skills in an employment situation, while also gaining qualifications. 

"I know that my colleague, the current Education Secretary Gilliam Keegan began her career as an apprentice at 16 and aims to put apprenticeships on the same level as degrees. This is the right step forward and apprenticeships really are the future."