Tag: KFC

New ‘Hatch’ Youth Employability programme launched in Edinburgh

New figures reveal worsening employment outlook for Scotland’s young people  

  • New ‘Hatch’ programme will help 16-24 year olds in Scotland who have faced barriers to employment to build their work skills, confidence and land their first job
  • Number of young people not in employment, education or training on the rise, as two in three (62%) young people in Scotland say that the cost-of-living crisis has increased barriers to finding work
  • Two in five (43%) employers in Scotland say they are less likely to hire a young person now, due to the current economic climate

KFC, UK Youth and Youth Scotland have launched a new youth employability programme in Scotland to help 16-25 year olds who have faced barriers to employment, to build their work skills, confidence and land their first job, as new research reveals the cost of living has significantly worsened work and training opportunities for young people in Scotland.

The Hatch programme, which was piloted in Manchester last year, is currently being rolled out across Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and surrounding areas. Working with UK Youth and Youth Scotland to identify young people most in need, the programme will offer participants 1-2-1 training, support, and practical work experience, with an interview at KFC on graduation. 

The launch of the programme comes as new research from KFC, UK Youth and Youth Scotland reveals the stark impact the cost-of-living crisis has had on young people’s employment outlook in Scotland. This follows recent reports from the Office for National Statistics that the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) increased in April to June 2023, to a current estimate of 794,000 or 11.6%.

Two in three (62%) young people in Scotland say the cost-of-living crisis has increased barriers to finding employment, as two in five (43%) employers in Scotland say they are less likely to hire a young person now, given the current economic climate.

The research lays bare the impact the cost-of-living crisis is having, not just on young people’s immediate job and training opportunities, but also on their confidence and longer-term employment outlook.

One in three (33%) young people in Scotland feel anxious about their employment, training and education prospects.  One in four (26%) of Scottish young people say they do not feel confident about finding a job in the next 5 years, with this figure rising to 28% when asked how they feel about the future in general.

For employers in Scotland the difficult economic climate means hiring young people has taken a backseat to other priorities.  Increasingly, employers in Scotland were found to be reducing training and development opportunities available for young people in a bid to reduce costs: half (49%) of employers in Scotland say they are less able to invest in upskilling young people now, while 77% of employers are worried about the future for young people given the current state of the economy and job market.

Nonetheless, employers in Scotland recognise the important role they can play in supporting young people into employment, as 89% believe that employers have a responsibility to help young people into the workforce and 88% say they want to do more to help them develop their skills.

Both employers (83%) and young people (69%) in Scotland agree that the Government needs to do more to help young people into employment and support businesses to hire and train the next generation of talent. With Greater Glasgow being home to several of the poorest areas of the country, the cost-of-living crisis is a huge barrier for young people to finding employment. 

To help reduce the barriers young people face across the UK, KFC, UK Youth and Youth Scotland are calling on government to work more closely with businesses to ensure young people are being equipped with the skills that will help them thrive in the workplace.

They are also calling for a joined-up strategy that brings together businesses with local authorities, job centres and youth work organisations to better connect young people with job and training opportunities in their local area. 

Meg Farren, General Manager, KFC UK & Ireland, said: “Young people today are facing greater challenges than ever before. The pandemic took away crucial skills and career development opportunities – now, they’re faced with a cost-of-living crisis and uncertain economy, making it so much harder to land their first job. 

“As one of the biggest youth employers in the country, we see first-hand how difficult it is for young people to build the skills and experience they need to enter the world of work and our latest research demonstrates how today’s economic climate is only making this harder for young people.

“There are buckets of talent across the UK, but all too often young people are cut out of accessing opportunities. That needs to change. That’s why we’re excited to be bringing our employability programme Hatch to Scotland, to invest in the next generation and help unlock some of this untapped potential.

“Working with UK Youth and Youth Scotland, Hatch, will help young people across Scotland to build their skills, confidence and land their first job.”

Jacob Diggle, Director of Strategy, Research and Impact at UK Youth, said: “The lingering effects of the pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis are having a damaging impact on the employment prospects of young people. We cannot ignore the concerns of the next generation as they attempt to enter the world of work – their success is crucial to the success of our economy and our country.

“Youth work can play a huge part in tackling the rise in youth unemployment. However, these life changing services are under strain and need more support – as highlighted by our cost of living campaign. The partnership between youth work and businesses is vital to meeting the scale of need.

“We are proud that our Hatch programme with KFC will help thousands of disadvantaged young people develop the confidence and skills they need to secure stable employment.”

Mike Strang, Youth Scotland Chief Executive said: “The Hatch programme is a fantastic opportunity for young people in Scotland who are facing multiple barriers to entering the workforce. Youth work meets young people where they are at and Hatch does that while offering tangible skills, support and opportunities for young people to realistically set their sights on employment.

“Youth employability programmes like Hatch offer pragmatic solutions and real prospects to some of the most disadvantaged of Scotland’s young people.”

Jordan McQuade, participant of the Hatch programme, said: “There are loads of barriers I faced when looking for employment. Prior to the Hatch programme, I’d spent two years trying to find a job that worked for me and my disability. The cost-of-living crisis had made the situation even worse, which made me feel anxious about my future and ability to find a job.

“However, my experience on the Hatch programme has been really positive and helped me to manage my mental health. The training has grown my confidence, and it’s been great to meet so many other young people working at KFC – I feel like I’ve made friends for life!

“Since completing the Hatch programme, I’ve been given a permanent part-time job at KFC, which is supporting me financially whilst I continue to study at college.”

Since piloting Hatch in Manchester last year, 80 young people have successfully graduated from the programme, with more than 50% finding full time employment as a result. By 2024, KFC is aiming to have upskilled 1,100 young people, ensuring they’re ready for future work, training or education through the Hatch programme.

Chicken welfare: KFC leads while Subway & Starbucks lag behind

KFC is leading UK fast food chains in the welfare of chickens raised for their meat while Subway, Starbucks, Domino’s and McDonald’s fall far behind according to a new report from World Animal Protection.

‘The pecking order 2021’ ranks fast food restaurants globally on how they are performing on their commitment, ambition, and transparency on chicken welfare in their supply chains. This year’s report shows that while the hospitality market has changed profoundly since the last report due to the global pandemic – alarming trends are still rife.

“Many big brand restaurants are denying billions of birds the chance to see sunlight, grow at a healthy rate or behave naturally.”

Most of the chicken meat served by the major fast food brands comes from chickens who live in cramped and barren environments with no sunlight, and many suffering from lameness and skin lesions. Intensive farming methods also often rely on routine antibiotic use as a quick fix solution to keep stressed and sick animals alive. This over-use of antibiotics is fueling the deadly superbug crisis that kills over 700,000 people a year and rising. Not only are these chickens suffering – human health is also being jeopardized.

For the first time, in addition to the global assessment, 14 local rankings have been also created to reflect the realities in different geographies. The brands assessed are Burger King, Domino’s, KFC, McDonald’s, Nando’s, Pizza Hut, Starbucks and Subway.

The UK companies in ‘The pecking order 2021’ received the highest scores meaning it places first out of the 14 countries included in the global assessment, with an average company score of 45%.

‘The pecking order’ assesses companies via publicly available information on three areas:

  • Commitment (corporate commitments), their policies clearly state how important the welfare of chickens is to the company;
  • Ambition (objectives and targets), a defined timeline that demonstrates the objectives, targets and promises a company has made to improve chicken welfare and when they will meet them; and
  • Transparency (performance reporting), through their performance reporting, and how clear the company is about living up to its promises on chicken welfare.

The key findings for ‘The pecking order 2021’ in the UK are:

  • KFC, out of all eight global brands assessed, is the clear leader of ‘The pecking order 2021’. It is the only company in Tier 1 (Leading) in the UK. This is through alignment with the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) and KFC reporting on its performance against the company’s chicken welfare standards in Western Europe.
  • Nando’s, Burger King and Pizza Hut also scored high points in 2021 due to signing up to the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) in the UK, and to other markets in some cases.
  • Starbucks and Subway both scored zero points and are right at the bottom of the ranking sitting in Tier 6 with a score of ‘Very poor’.
  • Domino’s sits in Tier 5 (Poor) and McDonalds in Tier 4 (Getting Started) these are the last remaining fast food companies in the ranking that have not committed to the BCC.
  • Despite moving up one tier, from ‘Poor’ to ‘Getting started’, McDonald’s, unlike many of its competitors, is still unwilling to sign up to the BCC in any market globally. The company has some standards that align with the commitment.
  • Burger King, Nando’s and Pizza Hut – have aligned with the BCC in the UK since the previous assessment. They are starting to demonstrate a serious intention to improve chicken welfare in this market. As a result, Burger King and Pizza Hut – have moved up two tiers, and Nando’s has moved up one tier. This is encouraging as it will improve the lives of millions of chickens. World Animal Protection urges other companies featured in the UK – Starbucks, Subway, McDonald’s and Domino’s – to follow suit soon.

Jonty Whittleton, Global Campaign Head at World Animal Protection says: “Many big brand restaurants are denying billions of birds the chance to see sunlight, grow at a healthy rate or behave naturally. COVID-19 has taught us that the welfare of animals and human health is interlinked – there should be no business as usual. Commercial motives are driving cruelty and suffering, and this needs to end.

“KFC once again has shown leadership in the UK and Europe since they signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment in 2019, which will improve the lives of millions of chickens. But it is disappointing that companies such as Starbucks, Subway, McDonald’s and Dominos are refusing to change for the better.

“As more people take an active interest in the ethics of their food, more companies are willing to act. Now is the time for real change to happen, and companies that fail to move with the demands of the market are not only causing misery to millions of animals but are also risking their reputation.”

World Animal Protection is calling on these global companies to lead and ensure that any chickens that are being served at their restaurants are guaranteed a life worth living.

To find out more, visit: www.worldanimalprotection.org.uk