MP Jacob Rees-Mogg visited Airbus Helicopters at Oxford Airport and praised its highly successful apprenticeship programme.

Airbus, which supports the police, air ambulance and military, takes on four or five local youngsters a year and is recruiting now.

They are also taking on five young people through the Kickstart Scheme which provides funding to employers to create jobs for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit.

Mr Rees-Mogg met Steve Pickston, 54, vice-president of Support and Services, who started with McAlpine Helicopters, which became Airbus Helicopters UK, as an apprentice in 1985.

While climbing the career ladder he also studied with the Open University, gaining a BSc degree.

Leader of the House of Commons Mr Rees-Mogg described him as “a poster boy” for the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill currently going through parliament.

He said: “The Bill has two main purposes. One is to help businesses get more apprentices so that the flow is improved – and Airbus has always been good at that. The other aim is lifelong learning, offering a range of educational opportunities so that nobody is left behind and that businesses have the skills that they need so that people can remain in their own areas.”

He said an apprenticeship career can be just as successful as other types of career and is often paid more.

Airbus gave Mr Rees-Mogg a short trip on an Airbus H125 helicopter of the type in which they very recently conducted flight demonstrations of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) which can reduce carbon emissions by as much as 90 per cent compared to conventional fuel.

He said meeting the target of net zero by 2050 was “not about stopping people doing things, but people doing things in an environmentally friendly way. That’s the way, I think, we need to go and that’s how the economy can continue to grow.

“Crucially we have done that since 1990. We’ve had an emissions cut of 42 per cent since 1990 and economic growth of 73 per cent since then.”

He added: “Technology is going to be the answer.”

Mr Rees-Mogg went on to visit RAL Space 100, the National Satellite Testing Facility, and the national synchrotron at Diamond Light Source at Harwell Science Campus where intense beams of light have been used in scientific research around Covid.

He said he was “very excited about Freedom Day”.

“I think people are sensible, I have confidence in the electorate to use their own common sense. Mask wearing and social distancing won’t be enforced by law but I think many people will decide to carry on wearing masks when in a busy place.

“When I am in Westminster Hall and I am on my own I will not wear a mask – mainly because I can’t see anything as my glasses steam up.”