Singaporean youths, it is your time: A Youth Day message from the National Youth Council

On this Youth Day, in the midst of a global pandemic and economic upheaval, there are just three things we at the National Youth Council want to say to our Youth.

Admittedly, it’s a tough time… for you, for everyone.

The path ahead holds uncertainties and unknowns, whether you are in school and taking a major exam this year, seeking jobs or internships, or even looking to get married and settle down.

Yet, we don’t see youth giving up in despair and instead there are many doing something different, learning new skills and figuring out ways to support themselves and their families.

It is a time of opportunity and in every crisis, there is more willingness in society and companies to adopt new ideas and new ways of doing things.

This is right up your alley – you can see and do things in new ways because you have fresh perspectives, fewer hangups and bigger risk appetites.

Capitalise on this time of opportunity.

The circuit breaker gave us time to stop and reflect, readjust and reprioritise. We saw youth stepping up to serve the vulnerable and help those who fell through the cracks.

From the two youths of a 3D printing startup who created face shields for frontliners to two young hawkers who cooked for the low-income during circuit breaker; from the youth behind Covid-19 Tutoring Support for Students to give greater access to needy students, to those who built a translation portal for medical teams treating migrant workers – these are some of many examples that show us the best of Singaporean youth stepping up.

You can tap on the National Youth Council’s Young ChangeMakers resource if you want to step up and make a difference to the community. It is also a time to step out of your comfort zones and you’re not alone in this.

Be open to possibilities and support from the SG United Traineeships, Youth Corps Internship Scheme and various resources in sites like GradGoWhere.sg and JobsGoWhere.com.sg.

Even when you can’t control what’s happening around you, you can control how you respond.

Your generation can embrace and accept the changes around you – and that is good – but you can also take control and make strong decisive choices to make the best of the situation.

Challenge yourself and harness your youthful energy to be the change, for yourselves, for the community and for Singapore.

Whoever said that only the Pioneer Generation made the greatest contribution. They were good, but you can be better – so take your place amongst them and be the change as post-Covid pioneers.

Happy Youth Day!

David Chua,
Chief Executive
National Youth Council