A charity which helps youngsters gain the skills needed for work has helped more than 300 people aged 16-25 find jobs or training in the last year.

Ashford-based CXK said 87% of those who had been on its vocational courses had gone on to employment, training or further education.

The organisation also offers the Prince’s Trust Team Programme, designed to help unemployed and vulnerable young people to gain skills and find work, apprenticeships or return to education.

Jack Benham, 22 from Canterbury, eventually secured an apprenticeship with Canterbury College and now works in the kitchen at The Sanctuary Group’s Canterbury care home.

He said: “When I started CXK’s Prince’s Trust Team Programme at 18, I was struggling to find a direction. I just didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life.

“A couple of weeks into the programme, I discovered that I had a passion for cooking.

“Now, at 23, I am The Santuary Group’s youngest head chef in the country, and manage a team of five.

“The Prince’s Trust Team Programme was a really important first step for me in identifying what I wanted to do in my career, and helping me to build valuable and relevant experience and confidence to move on in that field.”

To secure relevant work experience placements, CXK has developed a network of partnerships with Kent employers, including Eurostar, M&S and Screen South. Eurostar head of corporate & social responsibility Lesley Retallack said: “CXK provides essential help and guidance to young people to ensure they have the right opportunities to pursue their careers.

“We are delighted to be working with them on a work experience placement programme at Ashford International.”