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.
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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 about 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.
The plan is “intentionally flexible” so that youths at different life stages – youths in Singapore are defined as aged 15 to 35 – with different needs can benefit from it, said the acting minister.
“For example, some of the younger youths tell us they are more concerned with trying to explore, to find their way, to discover what really gives them meaning and purpose, and a lot of them also want to redefine success on their own terms,” he said.
To meet their needs, there is a plan to create up to 30,000 job tasters annually by 2030, across the public and private sectors, said MCCY and NYC.
These tasters let youths learn about different jobs and industries through bite-sized career exploration programmes, ranging from half a day to a few weeks, directly experiencing different jobs and industries, the people and the daily work realities.
MCCY and NYC said the job tasters have proven to be effective. About 11,000 taster opportunities for youths were offered last year, across sectors such as financial services, manufacturing, hospitality, and information and communications.
Mr Neo said that in a period of unprecedented change, there are certain industries with roles to be filled, but may not have enough youths who want to enter them.
“I would encourage all youths to really explore and try new things, make use of the job tasters. It may be a role in an industry that perhaps you didn't quite think of taking up before, but you can actually use that taster to get a feel of it … and then see whether that works well for you or not,” he said.
Another initiative on the cards is the Curiosity Credits scheme to let youths discover non-academic pursuits, new interests and hobbies, and make friends outside of school.
For a start, MCCY will work with the self-help groups to provide the S$500 in credits for youths aged 13 to 17 who are receiving support from such groups.
“I think what we want to do is we want to make sure that our youths have as many opportunities to explore their interests as possible. That's something that's important to them,” said Mr Neo.
“As with all things, we will see how well it works and, of course, if it works well, I think there is the possibility that it will be further scaled up, or more policy changes might follow.“
On the other hand, there are older youths in a different stage of life, who may be more concerned with things like jobs and careers, said Mr Neo.
While there are separate government plans from other ministries that can help them in those areas, they still want a space for themselves as part of their growth and development and also to contribute actively and have a voice in youth development, he noted.
As such, youth panels will be convened to let them co-create policies and shape recommendations on topics concerning youths.
MCCY and NYC launched the panels in 2024 to involve youths directly in policymaking, with the first run covering four topics – financial resilience, careers, digital well-being, and environment and sustainability. The next run will take place in the second half of 2026.
Another example of how older youths can contribute is the Somerset Belt Youth CoLab, said Mr Neo.
The 15-member body was set up in April and will serve a two-year term until 2028. It has a S$300,000 annual budget to empower youths to take ownership of the Somerset belt’s programming and activities.
When asked if the laying out of the SG Youth Plan might strip away the agency that youths have in deciding their next steps, Mr Neo explained that the government’s role is to provide the resources and opportunities.
The programmes are run by partners who know how to work with youths, and ultimately it is up to the youths to decide whether to participate, he said.
“On our end, we'll make sure that all the programmes are in place. But what we cannot do is that we won't be able to make sure that the youths make friends, that they can find the programmes. So this is where the youths have to step up,” he said.
He added: “Our role in it really is to – from a government standpoint, from an NYC standpoint, from a ministry standpoint – to curate and to do the things we are good at: bringing partners on board, providing the different provisions, supporting them with resourcing.”
When it comes to the parts that deal directly with the youths, such as the actual programmes and venue choices, the partner organisations would have a good sense as they are experienced in working with youths, said Mr Neo.
“This is where we want to leverage on their expertise to make that partnership work, so that it doesn't feel like a top-down effort,” he said.
Mr Neo emphasised that the SG Youth Plan is not one that is set in stone, but it is “a living plan” that is constantly updated.
The government cannot take its findings from this round’s engagements with youths and stakeholders and rely on it for the coming years, because the world is evolving rapidly and youth anxieties will shift, he said.
“It's not that we have a five-year plan and the next call for a big review is in three years or in two years, but it's something that we will constantly adjust and shift because we have to figure out what resonates with the youths,” said Mr Neo.
He added that the government will be glad to invest more in programmes that work well and have high take-up rates, and scale back on those that do not.
“To be quite honest, I don't think we have very economic markers,” said Mr Neo, adding that it is more about growing a sense of hope and opportunity for the future among youths.
Mr Neo also highlighted the role of parents in youth development.
“Behind every successful youth will certainly be a parent who gave them the opportunity, who gave them the support, and also gave them the trust to go and explore things on their own terms,” he said.
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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.
CNA Games
Show More Show Less
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 about 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.
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DIFFERENT YOUTH DEMOGRAPHICS
The plan is “intentionally flexible” so that youths at different life stages – youths in Singapore are defined as aged 15 to 35 – with different needs can benefit from it, said the acting minister.
“For example, some of the younger youths tell us they are more concerned with trying to explore, to find their way, to discover what really gives them meaning and purpose, and a lot of them also want to redefine success on their own terms,” he said.
To meet their needs, there is a plan to create up to 30,000 job tasters annually by 2030, across the public and private sectors, said MCCY and NYC.
These tasters let youths learn about different jobs and industries through bite-sized career exploration programmes, ranging from half a day to a few weeks, directly experiencing different jobs and industries, the people and the daily work realities.
MCCY and NYC said the job tasters have proven to be effective. About 11,000 taster opportunities for youths were offered last year, across sectors such as financial services, manufacturing, hospitality, and information and communications.
Mr Neo said that in a period of unprecedented change, there are certain industries with roles to be filled, but may not have enough youths who want to enter them.
“I would encourage all youths to really explore and try new things, make use of the job tasters. It may be a role in an industry that perhaps you didn't quite think of taking up before, but you can actually use that taster to get a feel of it … and then see whether that works well for you or not,” he said.
Another initiative on the cards is the Curiosity Credits scheme to let youths discover non-academic pursuits, new interests and hobbies, and make friends outside of school.
For a start, MCCY will work with the self-help groups to provide the S$500 in credits for youths aged 13 to 17 who are receiving support from such groups.
“I think what we want to do is we want to make sure that our youths have as many opportunities to explore their interests as possible. That's something that's important to them,” said Mr Neo.
“As with all things, we will see how well it works and, of course, if it works well, I think there is the possibility that it will be further scaled up, or more policy changes might follow.“
CONCERNS OF OLDER YOUTHS
On the other hand, there are older youths in a different stage of life, who may be more concerned with things like jobs and careers, said Mr Neo.
While there are separate government plans from other ministries that can help them in those areas, they still want a space for themselves as part of their growth and development and also to contribute actively and have a voice in youth development, he noted.
As such, youth panels will be convened to let them co-create policies and shape recommendations on topics concerning youths.
MCCY and NYC launched the panels in 2024 to involve youths directly in policymaking, with the first run covering four topics – financial resilience, careers, digital well-being, and environment and sustainability. The next run will take place in the second half of 2026.
Another example of how older youths can contribute is the Somerset Belt Youth CoLab, said Mr Neo.
The 15-member body was set up in April and will serve a two-year term until 2028. It has a S$300,000 annual budget to empower youths to take ownership of the Somerset belt’s programming and activities.
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WHAT GOVERNMENT DOES
When asked if the laying out of the SG Youth Plan might strip away the agency that youths have in deciding their next steps, Mr Neo explained that the government’s role is to provide the resources and opportunities.
The programmes are run by partners who know how to work with youths, and ultimately it is up to the youths to decide whether to participate, he said.
“On our end, we'll make sure that all the programmes are in place. But what we cannot do is that we won't be able to make sure that the youths make friends, that they can find the programmes. So this is where the youths have to step up,” he said.
He added: “Our role in it really is to – from a government standpoint, from an NYC standpoint, from a ministry standpoint – to curate and to do the things we are good at: bringing partners on board, providing the different provisions, supporting them with resourcing.”
When it comes to the parts that deal directly with the youths, such as the actual programmes and venue choices, the partner organisations would have a good sense as they are experienced in working with youths, said Mr Neo.
“This is where we want to leverage on their expertise to make that partnership work, so that it doesn't feel like a top-down effort,” he said.
Mr Neo emphasised that the SG Youth Plan is not one that is set in stone, but it is “a living plan” that is constantly updated.
The government cannot take its findings from this round’s engagements with youths and stakeholders and rely on it for the coming years, because the world is evolving rapidly and youth anxieties will shift, he said.
“It's not that we have a five-year plan and the next call for a big review is in three years or in two years, but it's something that we will constantly adjust and shift because we have to figure out what resonates with the youths,” said Mr Neo.
He added that the government will be glad to invest more in programmes that work well and have high take-up rates, and scale back on those that do not.
“To be quite honest, I don't think we have very economic markers,” said Mr Neo, adding that it is more about growing a sense of hope and opportunity for the future among youths.
Mr Neo also highlighted the role of parents in youth development.
“Behind every successful youth will certainly be a parent who gave them the opportunity, who gave them the support, and also gave them the trust to go and explore things on their own terms,” he said.
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