KFC 2019

YOUTHCONFIDENCEREPORT

INTRODUCTION

LETTER FROM NIKKI LAWSON

Young people are the future. They’re at the frontline of everything we do at KFC. We employ more than 35,000 people with 90% being between the ages of 16 and 24. That’s why we launched KFC’s Youth Confidence Report. Now in its second year, the results will frame our ongoing efforts to help support young Aussies be their best. We know first-hand that when they feel supported young people can achieve incredible things.

The positive news from this year’s report is that there’s been a slight uplift in youth confidence. But our survey also shows that many young people still lack self-esteem and feel like they’re battling against the odds.

We’ve delved deeper into the state of youth confidence this year, asking young people about their views on a wide range of issues including work and education, the role of social media and perceptions of government, media and business. We wanted to understand how

these impact feelings about their lives today and into the future.

The most important takeaway is that there’s still much work to be done. We’re committed to working with our valued charity partners – ReachOut, Whitelion, StreetWork, Youngcare and Reach – to tackle the issues around this lack of confidence.

You’ll hear more about what each of our charity partners are doing in this report. Together we want to inspire young people and let them know they’re not alone. We all have a role to play as individuals and organisations to build up our young people and give them the power to not just survive, but thrive.

NIKKI LAWSON MANAGING DIRECTOR

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1. 2. 3. 4.Confidence Crisis

1.1 Better Is Not Good Enough 1.2 Women in Focus 1.3 A Greater Disadvantage

The Issues 2.1 Work and Education 2.2 Social Media & Influencers2.3 Government, Business & the Media

The Impact 3.1 A Vicious Cycle

Stepping Up

4.1 Stepping Up4.2 Case Study4.3 Charity Partners

YOUTH CONFIDENCE REPORT

CONTENTS

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SECTION ONE

CONFIDENCE CRISIS

Better is Not Good Enough

Women in Focus

A Greater Disadvantage

1.11.21.3

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1.1. CONFIDENCE CRISIS

BETTER IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH

of young Aussies experience a lack of confidence across different areas of their lives

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth are more likely than other young people to experience a lack in confidence most days or every day

96%

YOUTH CONFIDENCE INDEX

CONFIDENCE CRISIS UNEQUAL BURDEN HEAVY IMPACT

52%96%

First, the good news. Fewer young people experienced a lack of confidence every day this year than last. But the stark fact remains that Australian youth confidence is in crisis. Fewer than one in five young people feel confident enough to be themselves in all areas of their lives.

We can see that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth are in need of support on being confident to face challenges and fulfil their potential. They’re even more likely to experience a lack of confidence on most days.

This confidence crisis is taking its toll. With close to 40% reporting that their lack of confidence has left them feeling depressed, while just over 60% have felt stressed or anxious. four in ten young Australians

lack confidence most or every day

A DAILY BATTLE

of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander youth, report having experienced a mental health issue

92%

young Australians have experienced a mental health issue

8/10

(up from 5.5/10 2018)6/10

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At-risk young people feel lonely and disconnected from their community because they are seen as ‘different’ and it may feel easier to stay inside, or seem impossible they would get the same opportunities as others, helping these young people to believe in themselves is the first confidence barrier.

ADAM GIBSON NSW REGIONAL MANAGER, WHITELION

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1.2. CONFIDENCE CRISIS

WOMEN IN FOCUSWhile youth confidence is a big issue, it’s even more prevalent among young women.

It’s troubling that young women are almost 20% more likely to experience a confidence problem when doing something they haven’t done before, particularly when there’s a push to get more women into male-dominated careers.

This may be contributing to mental health issues, with women more likely than men to have experienced problems.

One of the most striking findings within this year’s report is the gender gap in confidence.

It’s time to bring this issue into focus and look for ways to support our young women. After all, it’s during their younger years that they are making big decisions on their futures.

At a time when there’s still much to be done to improve the gender balance across our society, low confidence will make it harder for young women to be advocates for their own wellbeing and opportunities.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Are young men more confident, or more afraid of admitting a lack of confidence?

AN UPHILL STRUGGLE

A DEEPER CHALLENGE

84%of young women have experienced a mental health issue (vs 75% of men)

42%of young women are much more likely to feel confidence is the greatest obstacle to their success (vs 28% of young men)

THE BIGG

EST B

ARRIER

FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN

69%of young women lack confidence when doing something they haven’t done before (vs 50% of men)

48%of young women experience a crisis of confidence on most days or everyday - almost 20% more than men (31%)

THE BIGGEST BARRIER

of young women experience a lack of confidence when applying for a job, compared with 38% of young men

56%

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Reflecting on the ‘at-risk’ young females engaged in the StreetWork KickStart mentoring program so far in 2019, it is clear that a confidence gender gap is real and is not a myth. Young females often demonstrate a lack of self-confidence, are hesitant to try new things and often sell themselves and their skills short, which all impact their ability to succeed.

HELEN BANU CEO STREETWORK

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1.3. CONFIDENCE CRISIS

A GREATER DISADVANTAGE

Young women and men with a disability are more likely than those who do not have a disability to experience a lack of confidence on most days or every day.

As well as being more likely to suffer from mental health issues, young Aussies with a disability are also significantly more worried about speaking up about what they’re going through. With this weight on their shoulders, few are optimistic about the future.

*Australian Bureau of Statistics Data

If confidence issues are tough for most young Australians, they’re even harder for those with a disability, which currently sits at almost 1 in 5*.

THE BATTLE WITHIN 97% of young Australians who have a disability have experienced a mental health issue

60%

SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

of young Aussies with a disability experience a lack of confidence

on most days or every day.

UPHILL STRUGGLES

63%

Young Australians who have a disability are more likely than others (50%) to have experienced a lack of confidence at school or university

A BLEAKER OUTLOOK

<1/3of young Aussies with a disability say they have a lot to look forward to in life

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The introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has changed the country’s disability landscape. Young people with high care needs have more control over their own care than ever before, unlocking the opportunity to live fulfilling lives that are truly their own. They are at the edge of embracing the freedom they truly deserve. Our focus is to be one of the main catalysts and enablers for this change.

ANTHONY RYAN CEO YOUNGCARE

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SECTION TWO

THE ISSUES

Work and Education

Social Media & Influencers

Government, Business & the Media

2.12.22.3

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2.1. THE ISSUES

WORK & EDUCATIONWith technology becoming more and more important in the workplace, we want to know if school and university is leaving young people feeling prepared for jobs of the future and success later in life.

Older generations focused on finding work that would pay enough to support their family and aspirations, and while a good salary was still the biggest driver for choosing a career, Gen Z is also very focused on workplace culture, including fun, with 43% of young Aussies listing this as key factor.

The KFC Youth Confidence Report has gone to those who are most impacted by this issue of feeling prepared – young Australians – to find out their thoughts on the matter. Turns out, they’re worried.

Few are confident they are getting the knowledge and skills they need to succeed and live happy and independent lives. A surprising four in five young people were not very confident that school or tertiary education will provide them with the skills and knowledge they need to get a job.

This goes for knowing how to manage their money, too. Of these, the majority (57%) said that this was because school had not provided them with the knowledge and skills to understand financial concepts like tax, super and banking. JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY

49%of the underprepared young Aussies say this is because they are not provided with enough hands-on opportunities to discover what they might like to do

UNDERPREPARED

81%of young Aussies are not very confident that school and/or tertiary education will prepare them to land a job

only one in five are very confident they will have the financial skills that they need to navigate life1/5of young Aussies don’t think they’ll ever be able to move out of their home and stand on their own feet57%

INDEPENDENCE DAY

of young Australians say a good salary is the key factor when looking for a job 56%

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

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There is a barrier of competing for work on a level playing field with their peers by addressing health barriers, literacy needs and basic life skills. Secondly, is developing skills and confidence to apply and interview. The final confidence barrier can be overcome at their first job where they have understanding managers and peers to help them grow. Whitelion addresses these confidence barriers by working intensively with the young person for months in a ‘pre-employment’ skill building program. The other critical component is finding employers who can provide supportive environments for at risk youth to grow and learn from any setbacks.

ADAM GIBSON NSW REGIONAL MANGER, WHITELION

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2.2. THE ISSUES

SOCIAL MEDIA & INFLUENCERSJust like where we work, live or study, social media is now an everyday part of most people’s lives. Another space in which we live out our hopes and dreams, talk to friends and family but also discover new fears and insecurities.

In the year leading up to January 2019, another million Australians became active on social media. The average person spends 1.5 hours daily active on social media*.

Social media influencers are now mainstream. With their polished profiles that always reflect their best side, they’ve become some of the most important people impacting how young Australians feel and what they aspire to.

This year’s Youth Confidence Report reveals a mixed picture when it comes to the effect of social media and those who influence us on it.

The vast majority report that engaging with others online has negatively impacted their confidence, despite being aware that what they see online might not reflect reality. Three quarters (77%) of young Australians say that the rise of influencers has created more social pressures such as anxiety, insecurity and other mental health issues. Young women (81%) are more likely than young men (73%) to believe this.

On the other hand, many also report finding inspiration when looking at influencers on Instagram and other platforms. As social media continues to dominate lives, it’s important we keep working to better understand its impact on confidence levels and ensure young Australians feel positive about online experiences.

* We Are Social - Digital Report 2018

COMPARISONS HIT CONFIDENCE

33%one in three say looking at what others are doing on social media often makes them feel that other people’s lives are better than their own

UNDER PRESSURE

77%say the rise of influencers has created more social pressures and mental health issues such as anxiety

CAN THE REAL YOU PLEASE STAND UP?

81%say the life influencers portray on their profiles is far from reality

INSTA INSPIRATION

62%say that influencers inspire them to achieve more

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Social media is one of the most powerful forces of our generation. It has the potential to connect and inspire people. It also has the potential to be quite harmful. More than 1 in 5 young Australians are bullied online. We hear about it all the time in the workshops we run. The answer isn’t in banning phones or limiting time on social media platforms. We believe it’s important to empower young people to respect themselves and others in the way they interact online.

SASHA LAWRENCE CEO REACH

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2.3. THE ISSUES

GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS & THE MEDIAWhen you feel the world is against you, it hurts. This year’s Youth Confidence Report looks again at how young people perceive the institutions that are around them and whether they’re helping or holding them back. The outlook isn’t great.

Whether it’s the government, the media, or faceless corporations, young Australians doubt whether these institutions understand, care about or benefit them. It’s understandable why many young Aussies might feel distrustful or worried. There’s a lot of room for both sides to better connect. Failing to do so will make it harder to build confidence among future generations of Australians.

Politicians fail to impressLess than a fifth of young people have confidence that the government will make decisions that will leave Australia in a better place. Only a third are very confident there will be plenty of opportunity for them in years to come.

Misunderstood in the mediaThe majority of young Aussies feel misunderstood by the media. More than two thirds believe the media paints an inaccurate picture of who they are and 59% believe the older generation’s portrayal of them affects their confidence to succeed.

Business disconnectYoung Aussies aren’t sure whether they are valued by businesses. What’s clearer is that they do not think businesses are making decisions that will improve their lives.

WORSE OFF NOT FOR ME A POOR REFLECTION

PAINTED INTO A CORNER

KNOW YOUR WORTH

MISMATCH

17%believe the government will leave Australia in a better place for the young people of today

71%over two thirds are not very confident that Australia will provide opportunities for them to succeed

79%say media misrepresents them and this affects their confidence to succeed

63%of young Aussies say the media’s portrayal of them is harmful

47%less than half agree that businesses value what they have to offer

1/5say companies will make decisions that will consider young people in the future

71

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Young people today have strong expectations of all our major institutions across government, business and media; and aren’t afraid to speak up when these institutions don’t play their part. Young people are conscious consumers and engaged citizens who want a seat at the table to have their voices heard. It is critical for these institutions to provide opportunities to young people to lead and contribute to the future of our world – because let’s face it, most of the issues we face today were created by adults and future generations of young people will need to pay for it unless we do something different.

SASHA LAWRENCE CEO REACH

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SECTION THREE

A VICIOUS CYCLE

A Vicious Cycle3.1

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3.1 THE IMPACT

A VICIOUS CYCLE

Most young Australians told us that confidence issues have led them to behave in potentially risky ways. This includes the majority (62%) having done something they don’t agree with just to fit in. Six in ten (61%) young Australians have done something they knew to be wrong because they didn’t want to be seen as lame by others. Young men are more likely than young women to have done so. What makes such behaviour more worrying is that it may be the start of a vicious cycle. When we act out against our principles, we often feel guilty about it later on and overall, it can have serious effects on confidence.

Partaking in out-of-character behaviour for a quick-solve solution to try and fit in can be damaging behaviour and could send young people down a path they were not meant to walk.

Young people are painting a complicated picture. While trying to impress friends can be behind risky behaviour, it’s their friends who are also their biggest source of support, with parents coming second. Least named were teachers or school counsellors (16%), which suggests there may some work to do in establishing supportive relationships in schools.

Our findings show that in some cases more could be done by dads, workmates, teachers and mentors to boost youth confidence. It’s also clear that there’s room for raising awareness about the resources available for those struggling with mental health issues, with 68% of young Australians not very confident that there are enough mental health support services available to them.

CAN’T SAY NO

32%engaged in risky behaviour because they couldn’t say no to peer pressure

Lacking confidence can be a challenging and negative experience that holds young people back from achieving their full potential and leading the lives they deserve. What’s more, it’s putting young people at greater risk.

RISKY BUSINESS

54%have engaged in risky behaviour to try to feel more confident

HITTING THE BOTTLE

31%the most common risky behaviour is drinking alcohol

54%

32%

31 %

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Mental health is an issue which is being spoken about more frequently and with less stigma. While many young people are speaking up and finding support, there are many who are still, and will, suffer in silence. Our vision at ReachOut is to help all young people be happy and well. No matter where they live immediate help is available for young people at ReachOut.com for whatever life throws at them be it work and study stress, depression and anxiety, drugs and alcohol and everything in between. We’re proud to partner with KFC so that each year we can help more young people.

ASHLEY DE SILVA CEO REACHOUT

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Support NetworkPeople that young Australians say are most important to them in building their confidence are:

3.1 THE IMPACT

A HELPING HAND

KNOWING YOUROPTIONS

66% 58% 42%

FRIENDS MUM DAD

ONLY 38% of young Aussies are very confident that they know what mental health services are available to them.

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SECTION FOUR

STEPPING UP

Stepping Up

Case Study

Charity Partners

4.14.24.3

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4.1 STEPPING UP

STEPPING UPWe were inspired to launch the KFC Youth Foundation in 2018 after seeing how the personal development, life skills and training initiatives that we provide to our people help them to be themselves. At KFC, we strive to provide the best training and platforms to allow people to be their best selves, we also know there’s work to be done in order to grow their confidence and we’re doing this by listening to what young Australians are saying and shining a light on the issues that matter the most them.

We want to help give all young Aussies opportunities to succeed and achieve, and even out the playing field for those who may face more or just a different set of challenges than others. This year, our internal survey found that 60% of our young people in restaurants felt they can truly be themselves, higher than the national average of 45%.

This year’s survey results show there is more to be done to ensure all young Aussies feel the confidence they need to thrive. But we know we can’t do it alone.

That’s why we’ve been working with five incredible charity partners – ReachOut, Whitelion, Street Work, Youngcare and Reach. Learn more about the work they have been doing to help young Australians to confidently take on the challenges life throws at them. HTTPS://WWW.KFC.COM.AU/KFC-YOUTH-FOUNDATION

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4.2 STEPPING UP

CASE STUDY

Matt grew up in a large family who were financially stretched to comfortably support the whole family. Due to domestic violence issues, Matt’s mum left his dad to escape the toxic relationship and create a better home environment and life for the children. Since the separation, Matt’s dad has been forbidden access to his kids, so Matt and his three siblings live with their mum.

Having met a new partner, Matt’s mum sadly once again became a victim to domestic violence. At the young age of 16, Matt found it difficult to understand the complicated reasons why family violence victims are vulnerable to repeating the cycle and struggled to

cope with his emotions. He was simply angry at his Mum and resented his Mum’s new partner making life at home strained and complicated. To avoid spending time in the house, Matt found comfort and an escape in drinking and began hanging out at the local skate park late into the night. His behaviour, led to the police giving him a number of warnings for drinking and fighting, but importantly they could see Matt was a victim of circumstances at home and he was referred to Whitelion for support.

Whitelion helped Matt build a stronger relationship with his mum and process his experiences and

Whitelion supports isolated and disadvantaged young people by giving them confidence and opportunities to create a better future for themselves. Read about Matt’s story who received mentoring from Whitelion.

emotion. To ease home life, Matt moved in with an aunt to provide a more stable home life. Helping Matt complete year 10 studies, Whitelion connected him to an alternative school to help him refocus on his education. Through the KFC and Whitelion partnership, Matt was enrolled on the Whitelion Employment Programme to help Matt identify a job at a local KFC restaurant in Melbourne to boost his confidence and help him connect to other people away from the skate park.

The opportunity to work at KFC enabled Matt to balance his studies while working; being placed in a restaurant close to his new school in Melbourne’s

western suburbs Matt was able to take on weekend shifts. With praise given from his supervisors, Matt took on more responsibilities with extra shifts during the week. Among many other possibilities that work opened up for Matt, he used some of his wages to take his siblings to the movies every weekend and was able to build a strong relationship with his family again. The mentorship programme funded by the KFC Youth Foundation has helped Matt turn things around; seeing him move out of the skate parks late at night and into employment with plans to study at TAFE.

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4.3 STEPPING UP

CHARITY PARTNERSASHLEY DE SILVA CEO

“Support from the KFC Youth Foundation has contributed to ReachOut connecting with more than 1.2 million young people and their parents in the last six months alone. With your help we’ve been providing information and tools to support young people with key life issues like bullying, relationship challenges and coping with stress. The security and support offered by such a valued partnership means we can continue to focus on young people who are not getting the help they need, particularly in regional and remote Australia. Suicide is still the leading cause of death between the ages of 16 to 24 and your efforts mean we can continue to lead on suicide prevention support via our online forums and services.

From all of the team at ReachOut Australia and the young people we serve, we want to say a big THANK YOU – this would not have been possible without your support.”

HANG VO CEO

“The KFC Youth Foundation has provided Whitelion with the opportunity to work with young people across Australia who need help to break down the barriers that prevent them from accessing work.

In New South Wales the Youth Foundation supports a project in Mt Druitt that helps young people gain pre-employment skills through Whitelion’s social enterprise café. Once the young people have practical work experience in a hospitality environment, Whitelion connects them to real jobs such as working in local KFC restaurants. The Youth Foundation support allows Whitelion the time to prepare the young people for work, knowing that there are jobs available in KFC restaurants with understanding employers and team mates.

The Youth Foundation support for Whitelion also allows for employment projects to operate in Melbourne and across Whitelion’s other locations

across Australia. The Youth Foundation’s donation allows Whitelion to spend time with young people building their confidence and life skills, which will increase their success of staying employed.

We’ve accomplished so much since the beginning of the year.

In Victoria, 7 young people attended a workshop facilitated by KFC and Whitelion with more workshops to be organised.

In NSW, 2 young people have been gainfully employed and remain so. An onboarding procedure for young people graduating from IIWFTC into KFC restaurants has been co-designed and it is being used to give restaurant managers an understanding of the type of training and support that our young people have received.

In Tasmania, 1 young person has been employed in the store at Sorrell.”

HTTPS://AU.REACHOUT.COM/ HTTPS://WWW.WHITELION.ASN.AU/

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4.3 STEPPING UP

CHARITY PARTNERSHELEN BANU CEO STREETWORK

“At StreetWork our youth case workers aim to give vulnerable young people every opportunity to be in the best position to fulfil their potential and live a life of value. The KFC Youth Foundation contributes to our KickStart mentoring program, through which case workers partner with young people to build confidence to break the cycle of destructive behaviour to turn young lives around.

Success for StreetWork is measured in terms of the outcomes we achieve in partnership with the young people we work with. The overall measure of this is a young person’s wellbeing, including their level of confidence, achieved by addressing their individual needs to be in the best position to fulfil their potential.”

ANTHONY RYAN CEO YOUNGCARE

“The KFC Youth Foundation is helping to provide choice, independence and dignity to young people with high care needs throughout the whole of Australia. For Youngcare, this means supporting the delivery of our Home Support Grants throughout Australia. The grants have enabled us get young people living with a disability out of hospital beds, aged care facilities and nursing homes into their own chosen residential solutions, while helping us keep young people living in the communities where they want to live.”

SASHA LAWRENCE CEO

“Just like the KFC Youth Foundation, we strongly believe young Australians have the potential to achieve great things, thrive and have the opportunity to shape the future world we live in. At Reach, we have been working with young people for 25 years. We’re aware of the issues young people face today from lack of confidence, identity, self-esteem to their own future outlook and the world around them. We work with young people every week in our workshops and we see first-hand the challenges young people in Australia face today. We know in 2019, our work is more important than ever and we will continue to partner and work together with the KFC Youth Foundation and like-minded organisations in realising our vision of generations of confident, self-aware and passionate young people shaping the world.”

HTTPS://WWW.STREETWORK.ORG.AU/ HTTPS://WWW.YOUNGCARE.COM.AU/ HTTPS://WWW.REACH.ORG.AU/

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KFC 2019

YOUTHCONFIDENCEREPORT