Britain's biggest children's charity has linked up with a multinational fast food restaurant to help give work experience to socially disadvantaged young people.

Barnardo's said that it would offer youngsters known to the charity a chance to get a taste of employment by utilising work experience opportunities at high street fast food chain, KFC.

The charity recognises the need for deprived teenagers to get a taste for employment, which would include an interview, appraisal and a placement spanning between one and four weeks.

Barnardo's chief executive Anne Marie Carrie said: "Now is a tough time for any young person to start out in the world of work but those who are vulnerable are in danger of being shunned by the workplace.

"The Government has made some headway to tackling the issue of youth unemployment but private and voluntary sector partnerships have a vital role to play in equipping all young people with confidence and skills on their journey towards work."

That positive attitude was matched by Martin Shuker, managing director at KFC UK & Ireland, who said: "We are not only transforming their lives by giving them vital work experience skills but we are motivating our own staff and gaining fresh perspectives on our work."

Copyright Press Association 2012