Halifax nightclub apprentice visits House of Commons in bid to change perception of the industry

During National Apprenticeship Week Matt Middleton, an apprentice at The Deltic Group met the local MP for Halifax, Holly Lynch, during the fourth annual Hospitality Apprenticeship Showcase held at the House of Commons.

Matt who is an apprentice at ATIK, on Commercial Street, took home a certificate, given to him by Ms Lynch, to commend his contribution to hospitality and his part in changing the perception of the industry.

The reception saw more than 200 representatives from the hospitality industry and MPs from across the UK come together to celebrate the burgeoning sector, lifted up by the dedication of the young apprentices thriving within the companies that they work.

The showcase welcomed Minister Helen Whately MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism), who addressed the apprentices and MPs on the importance of the hospitality sector on the UK’s tourism industry.

Minister Whatley said: “We want to give visitors to the UK a world class welcome and that depends on having a skilled hospitality workforce.

"The Tourism Sector Deal is a bold commitment between Government and industry, and as part of this, our aim is for 30,000 apprenticeships to start each year to help strengthen the domestic workforce and support the future of the industry."

The event came at a time when attending businesses highlighted to MPs their current staff shortages, urging the government to do more to bridge the disconnect between job losses on flailing high streets and the burgeoning hospitality industry.

Recent reports suggest more than 140,000 High Street jobs were lost in 2019, with the numbers already close to 10,000 this year in January alone[1], but the hospitality industry is still reporting vacancies.