Fast food brand KFC is launching a mental health initiative to help Australia’s young people.

The franchisor commissioned its inaugural KFC Youth Confidence Report (YouGov Galaxy survey of 1000+ Australian youth aged 15-24) and found there’s an epidemic of uncertainty and doubt affecting Australia’s younger population.

The research highlights a generational confidence deficit with two thirds (63 per cent) of young people predicting a bleak future.

And sadly nearly half (44 per cent) of Australian young people admit that they have no idea how to realise the dream of greater self-confidence.

The KFC Youth Foundation is dedicated to building confidence in young Australians and will work to raise critical funds for the selected partners on this mission: Reach, Youngcare, StreetWork, Whitelion and ReachOut.

As a collective, all organisations will work together to ensure as many young Australians as possible have the confidence, skills and support they need to succeed to build a brighter, more confident future for Australia.

KFC Australia’s managing director, Nikki Lawson, said: “Creating an environment that empowers and supports young people has long been a cause close to KFC’s heart. When people under 25 make up 90 percent of your team, it’s clearly a no-brainer.”

“KFC has a long history of instilling confidence in young people. We hire thousands of young people in the country – over 35,000 actually – and have seen the difference that confidence makes in their lives.

“The KFC Youth Foundation is an incredibly exciting opportunity to go beyond our restaurants and help to foster confidence in more young Australians.”