Two regional dailies have joined forces with business leaders to help jobless young people find work.

The Norwich for Jobs campaign, backed by the Eastern Daily Press and Norwich Evening News, aims to find work for half of all unemployed 18 to 25-year-olds in the region over the next three years.

Johnny Hustler, managing director of Archant Anglia, called on businesses to make opportunities available to young jobseekers, to their “flames of ambition” being extinguished by frustration.

Archant Norfolk editor-in-chief Nigel Pickover will work alongside MP Chloe Smith, Transforming Education in Norfolk’s chief executive Dick Palmer, JobCentre Plus district manager Julia Nix, and Andrew Barnes, senior partner at Howes Percival solicitors.

Nigel said: “This is a major, ongoing, inspiring campaign to get young unemployed people from our great city in to work. Both our daily titles will use all their firepower to ensure it succeeds.”

The campaign was launched after figures showed there were almost 2,000 18 to 24-year-olds on Job Seekers’ Allowance in the Norwich Job Centre Plus area alone – covering both the Norwich City Council area and surrounding communities.

The campaign urges businesses to think creatively about the kind of opportunities they can offer to young people.