AN EXCITING young football prospect has turned his back on the sport to kick off a "suck-it-and-see" recruitment business.

Chatham-born Keith Mabbutt, 23, has launched his own company, The Enhancement Initiative, to enable employers to try out talent without obligation or salary.

The scheme tries to match skills to employer demand but without committing the employer to a permanent employee who may prove unsuitable.

Keith trained in Gillingham's School of Excellence under Peter Taylor and Tony Pulis, and was named Young Star Of The Future at Maidstone United under Keith Peacock before the club went bust. But after missing out on a contract, the midfield player decided to switch his attention to business goals.

His Headcorn-based firm assesses the needs of an employer before offering a graduate or well qualified person a work placement for up to three weeks.

Employers pay an annual fee on a sliding scale, according to the size of company, entitling them to any number of placements. Workers are promised "high quality training and experience."

"It's like an lengthened interview process," says Keith, a former senior prefect at Maidstone Grammar School for Boys. He promises employers "customised work experience to ensure their clients succeed in the workplace. The benefit to the employers is that they are more likely to get the calibre of recruits they want."

At the end of the placement, employers either offer the worker a permanent job or show them the door.

Keith has invested his own savings in the business and won support from Barclays Bank and The Prince's Trust. He expects to make £100,000 in the first year, break even within 14 months and be a millionaire in three years. He is convinced he is onto a winner.

"Even at 18, I wanted to run my own business," he says. "My plans are that within three years, this will be a multi-million pound company."

The Enhancement Initiative can be contacted on 01622 892468.