Matthew Jones
Regional Access to Higher Education award winner
Matthew decided to make a change after ten years as an HGV driver. He told his advisor at the North Yorkshire County Council Adult Learning Service that he wanted to ‘get out of the truck’ and get some qualifications. He left school with one GCSE in PE, then spent time as a barber and ran a pub before studying for his Class 1 HGV licence. 
Matthew went on to the FreshStart programme and took GCSEs in Maths, English and Science by distance learning. He needed some income so he took driving work in the holidays and also worked on the doors of a local night club.
His tutor noted that Matthew was quick to grasp Elizabethan English and the study of texts including Shakespeare. This September Matthew started an Access to Higher Education course at Middlesborough College and a degree in Creative Writing.
Matthew’s tutors described him as someone with a very positive attitude and a great example to other people, who often recognised him as the guy on the door of the local pub.
Yorkshire & Humber Adult Learners' Week is coordinated by Involve Yorkshire & Humber. Adult Learners' Week Awards are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the life-changing learning done by people in communities all over Yorkshire and Humber, and the central role of the voluntary and community sector in supporting learning.
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