A new academy training the next generation of carers is to be launched to help tackle the region's growing dementia problem - and give young people new career opportunities.

Kingsley Healthcare is joining forces with Lowestoft College to give 12 teenagers the chance to get level two or three qualifications as part of the new Kingsley Care Academy. The 16 to 18-year-olds will start their one-year course after the October half-term break, mixing classroom study with work experience at nearby Kingsley-run care homes.

Those who graduate from the academy will all be guaranteed jobs by Kingsley Healthcare, with a £500 bonus on graduation and a £200 bursary.

Chief executive Daya Thayan said: 'We want young people to see care as a worthwhile career, not simply a job.

'The care industry is as big as any other vibrant industry, like the oil industry, but a constraint until now has been a lack of training facilities and opportunities for youngsters.

'Faced with the demographics of an ageing population and increasing incidence of dementia, we know the opportunities will be there for young people choosing a career in care.'