KFC and UK Youth host graduation party for young employees

KFC held an in-store party at its Hulme branch in Manchester to celebrate the most recent graduates of its youth employability programme, Hatch, run in partnership with UK Youth. 

It follows recent research which shows more than half, 53 per cent, of young people in Manchester say the cost-of-living crisis has increased barriers to finding employment, as a third, 32 per cent, of employers in Manchester say they more likely to hire people with more experience, due to the current economic climate. 

The event saw dozens of young people attend for chance to hang out and celebrate their achievements. The young people in attendance enjoyed plenty of KFC food and exclusive and personalised merchandise, including T-shirts and tote bags, as well as a DJ and photobooth. 

The party was to celebrate the latest graduates from the Hatch programme, a national youth employability programme designed and delivered with UK Youth. Hatch will help some 6,000 young people across the UK who have faced barriers to employment land their first job. 

Ndidi Okezie OBE, UK Youth chief executive officer, said: “We are enormously proud of our Hatch partnership with KFC, which is helping thousands of disadvantaged young people develop the confidence and skills they need to succeed, and we send our warmest congratulations to this latest cohort of graduates. There are thousands of young people across the UK without the opportunity, support or key skills needed to secure stable employment. Government support and investment in young people is vital, but so is the partnership between youth work and businesses, if we want to help the next generation succeed.”  

Jenny Packwood, KFC UK & Ireland Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer, said: “At KFC we believe every young person who wants a job should be able to get one. After all, we’ve been the first job for thousands of people in the UK; 65 per cent of our 29,000-strong workforce are under the age of 25. That starts with employers, like us, investing in programmes like Hatch that support and empower young people to take that first step in the world of work, whatever their background or experiences.” 

UK Youth is a leading charity with a vision that all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. UK Youth reaches more than four million young people across the UK and is focused on making youth work accessible to all as a catalyst for change. To find out more, visit ukyouth.org   

As well as employability, UK Youth is involved in a range of programmes designed to help young people thrive, such as mental health, physical literacy, social action and outdoor learning through its own Avon Tyrrell Outdoor Activity Centre in the New Forest. For more on UK Youth’s programmes, see ukyouth.org/what-we-do/programmes