SINGAPORE: A new national plan for youth development was launched on Saturday (Jul 25) by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo.
Called the SG Youth Plan, it aims to reach more than half a million youths from all backgrounds over the next five years, said Mr Neo, who is currently also senior minister of state for education.
“The Youth Plan is a case where we’ve heard from our youths, more than 60,000 of them over a period of time, to understand what are their fears, their concerns and what are their aspirations, what do they want to achieve,” Mr Neo told reporters on Monday ahead of the launch at the SG Youth Forum at Suntec Convention Centre.
More than 415,000 responses were gathered from youths and stakeholders between November 2024 and March this year about the plan, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and National Youth Council (NYC) said in a press release on Saturday.
Under the plan, over 20 initiatives will be implemented over the next five years to help young Singaporeans navigate an increasingly complex world, they said.
They include credits to let youths explore new hobbies and interests, an independent living pilot in co-living spaces, and more opportunities for overseas exposure.
In an independent living pilot, private operators Coliwoo and Eco-Energy will offer more than 100 units at a discounted rate, for those aged 21 to 35.
The NYC will also commit up to S$20 million (US$15.5 million) to support up to 3,000 youth-led projects in the next five years.
Speaking during an interview at *SCAPE in Somerset, Mr Neo noted that the government has “always placed a lot of focus and attention on our youth”, with Singapore consistently ranked among the top countries globally for youth development.
“But at the same time, I think there are fundamental shifts that are happening around us. As we speak, there are several wars going on and as a result, there are supply chain disruptions, rising costs,” he said.
“It leads to some of our youths asking, can they continue to afford the same things that their parents used to?”
The unprecedented rate of technological disruption, including the advent of artificial intelligence, also brings uncertainty for youths over the opportunities available to them moving forward, said Mr Neo.
“Couple that with the rise of social media, on one hand, it makes our youths more connected, but on the other hand, it can also leave them feeling constantly judged, really wondering if they are ever good enough,” he said.
Nonetheless, Mr Neo noted that a lot of youths do feel confident in the future of the country, and want to find meaning and purpose, as well as to actively contribute.
MCCY and NYC said they found that 76 per cent of youths are confident about Singapore’s future, but only 66 per cent feel confident about their own future.
They added that while 91 per cent of youths aspire to have meaningful careers, 52 per cent of them worry they lack the skills to keep pace with a fast-changing economy – with about 40 per cent viewing AI as a threat to opportunities rather than an enabler.
These pressures have contributed to rising mental health concerns, with 30 per cent of youths reporting related issues.
“I think it is our intent to make sure that we put together something that supports them, not just to do well but to thrive, and we want to support them to achieve their fullest potential,” said Mr Neo.