So in many ways, setting up the Youth Corps then was a leap of faith into the unknown.
We started with an initial group of 90 volunteers.
It was not a very big group. But we thought it would be better to start well, regardless of the numbers. Start well, and make sure that everyone participating has a good experience, and then over time there will be positive feedback from the programme amongst young people, word of mouth will spread, and we can develop and grow organically.
And I am glad to see that this is indeed what has happened over the last 10 years.
From that initial group of 90 volunteers, we now have more than 30,000 Youth Corps volunteers.
All of you engage in a wide range of volunteering activities from mental health to caring for the elderly, for the environment, and helping those with special needs.
You rise to the challenge during times of need. In Singapore, for example during the pandemic, many Youth Corps volunteers like yourself stepped forward:
Distributing food for vulnerable groups.
Refurbishing shelters for rough sleepers, packing care packs for our healthcare workers and migrant workers.
And even befriending and helping seniors so that they will not be left behind especially those who are isolated at home.
Many of you have journeyed with us this past decade to develop and build up the Youth Corps.
Of course, the leadership team at MCCY and I am very glad to see all the ministers since my time are here today. The baton has passed from me to Minister Grace and then to Minister Edwin Tong. And we are all here today to support you. We have an excellent team at the NYC – David who is the CEO, and KK who is a team Director. They were both recruited by me and they have stayed on for 10 years.
Our many community partners who are here, mentor school leaders and staff, NYC staff. Thank you very much.
Of course, all the volunteers of the Youth Corps, all of you. We have volunteers from across the entire decade with us today, including several from the pioneer batch.
So thank you, everyone. Well done, and happy 10th anniversary once again!
Youths and Bringing Singapore Forward, Together
We will celebrate SG60 next year, Singapore’s 60th year of independence. It is a milestone in our nation-building journey.
It is a time to celebrate our achievements, and to honour the past generations that have enabled us to get to where we are today.
But it is also an opportunity to look ahead and think about what we can do to build the Singapore we want for the future.
We have heard from many young people when we undertook the Forward Singapore exercise. You have shared your hopes with us for a refreshed Singapore Dream.
To have a society that is anchored on values, solidarity, and purpose.
A society where opportunities abound to pursue your aspirations and dreams in different ways.
And a Singapore where we can all be the best possible versions of ourselves.
My team and I will work hard to realise these shared aspirations. But we cannot do this alone. We need your help too. All of you will play a part in writing the next chapter of our Singapore Story.
And I know many Youth Corps volunteers are already doing so. Like Sheila Manokaran, whom I met in 2014. I think Sheila is here today. She is one of those who was among the pioneer batch of Youth Corps volunteers, the 90 I spoke about just now.
She graduated from the programme and organised a donation drive for the Children’s Cancer Foundation and raised $55,000 for the Foundation. And she did not stop there; she continued to volunteer for other events like the Purple Parade.
She gives back to the community that has nurtured her, and today, she works with ITE – her alma mater – to develop internship opportunities for ITE students. And she is also a member of the Youth Corps Advisory Committee.
She does all these, on top of her full-time job as a co-founder of the River Valley Irregulars, which is a platform for young people to look for jobs, internships, and collaborative opportunities with other like-minded people.
I do not know how you find the time Sheila, to do everything. But well done and thank you for your contribution!
There are many, many other Youth Corp leaders and volunteers like Sheila who are making a difference, not just during the time that they volunteer in the Youth Corps programme but even after they have graduated, continuing to volunteer and continue to make a positive impact on our society. So thank you to everyone for going above and beyond and helping to build a better Singapore.
The government will provide more opportunities for young people to contribute. And that is why we recently set up youth panels, which NYC is helping to coordinate. These are panels led by the youths to deliberate on issues that you care about, and you can come up with recommendations to help all of us in Singapore do better.
We have four panels set up so far, looking at: financial security; careers and lifelong learning; digital well-being; and environment and sustainability.
These are already at work. In fact, they have been doing so since November last year. They have been meeting monthly to learn more about the issues, brainstorm ideas, and even discuss policy options with government agencies.
Some of the panels are also organising learning journeys on their own. For example, the youth panel that looks at digital well-being recently initiated a visit to Google to understand what the company has been doing to build trust and safety across its platforms.
