‘You’re hired’: How Yum! Brands is preparing tomorrow’s global workforce

Each day this week, Yum! will publish a new addition to this story, featuring another part of the world in which the company is preparing youth for their careers. By week's end, you'll see a comprehensive look at these efforts around the world.

Yum! Brands is the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill, so it knows how to craft craveable food and memorable customer experiences. Today, the world's largest restaurant company is also training young people for their career journeys in the communities Yum! serves, whether that's with Yum! or another company. From resume writing to interview prep, Yum! wants them to hear two magic words: "You're hired."

With its franchisees, Yum! and its brands employs over 1 million people, many of them young and for whom a job at KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill is their first. Studies show that a first job can open a variety of career pathways and even create a ripple effect across an entire community, improving lives of family members and others who receive the benefits of a consistent salary.

Throughout its 27-year history, Yum! has recognized the importance of the first job and supported career readiness programs. In 2020, Yum! announced a $100 million investment called the Unlocking Opportunity Initiative (UOI), which was organized globally but implemented locally by partnering with organizations in many of the 155-plus countries and territories in which the company operates. Career readiness was one of the ways Yum! committed to giving back through UOI.

"Yum! is known for taking care of its people, both in front of and behind the restaurant counter," said Yum! Impact & Communications Manager Kat Abner. "We believe everyone, especially youth, deserve to work at a job they love and that helps them achieve their future career goals. UOI has served as a catalyst to build a community impact movement across our company, and I am encouraged and inspired by it and other Yum!- and brand-sponsored programs that are making a difference for youth around the world."

Here's how Yum! is preparing tomorrow's workforce worldwide.

The United States of Next

A first job can open many doors, and for those working in the U.S. restaurant industry, that could be restaurant ownership. According to the National Restaurant Association, eight out of 10 restaurant owners started their careers in a restaurant entry-level position, and for a handful of California students, they're taking steps toward that career path with a little help from Habit Burger & Grill.

This year, they spent two months developing a restaurant concept, complete with a business plan that included a budget, restaurant design and marketing plans, and then pitched their concept to industry professionals at the California Restaurant Association's ProStart Student Invitational. For the past three years, the Habit Burger & Grill has sponsored teams, and in 2024, the team from the Orange County School of the Arts took home the top prize with their concept called Teddy's.

"The creativity, talent, and dedication these young chefs bring to the table is seriously inspiring," said Jason Triail, director of Culinary Innovation at Habit Burger & Grill. "I can't wait to swing by Teddy's for a bite someday!"

Yum! Brands is also preparing young people for careers in Kentucky through a program called Cardinal Bridge Academy (CBA), which prepares high school students in the company's hometown of Louisville for their next step. According to the U.S. Department of Education, individuals with a bachelor's degree earn 84% more in salaries than those with only a high school diploma, so CBA equips participants with skills like resume writing, interview preparation and more to ensure that doors are opened for them.

CBA participant Corey Garner, who was mentored by Yum! Brands and KFC employees, said in a University of Louisville article, "I learned that employers are looking for hardworking and dedicated people to help their businesses. Having this type of information is going to help me find success with my future employers."

Check back on Monday for information on one of our Africa programs.

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