13 June 2014
The National Youth Council (NYC) will be restructured into an autonomous agency. The aim is to strengthen NYC as the national body coordinating holistic youth development. This is part of the Ministry’s plan to redouble its efforts to engage youth as announced by Minister Lawrence Wong in Parliament during the
Debate on the President’s Address.
2
The NYC, which is currently a division under the People’s Association (PA), will be taken out from under PA and placed directly under MCCY. To augment NYC’s role as a national youth developer, Outward Bound Singapore (OBS), with its forte in adventure-based experiential learning will become part of the strengthened NYC.
The new NYC will be able to broaden its outreach to young Singaporeans and youth sector organisations for holistic youth development.
3 Mr Wong, who is also Chairman of NYC said: “The restructuring of NYC will ensure better coherence and coordination in our youth development efforts. I envisage the revamped NYC as a national body to champion and oversee youth affairs. As the national coordinator for youth development programmes, the NYC will be a bridge that works with government agencies, community partners and youth sector organisations, both large and small, established and new, to drive holistic youth development .”
4 The restructured NYC will be in a stronger position to foster robust collaboration with partners in the private, people and public (3P) sectors, so as to better support youth engagement in the community. Some of the plans that are underway include:
(i) Deepening partnerships with the Ministry of Education and schools through the Community and Youth Leadership (CYL) schools programme, which aims to equip young Singaporeans with the skills and passion to create a better society;

(ii) Reviewing *SCAPE to provide opportunities for youth from different backgrounds to congregate and support their aspirations;
(iii) Partnering community and grassroots organisation, as well as the
Social Service Offices in the respective neighbourhoods to match youths with the needs on the ground and meaningful volunteering opportunities in the community;
(iv) Continuing engagement of volunteers through Youth Corps Singapore to build youth capacity through structured training programme to equip them with leadership and project management skills to support them in their respective causes and to create sustainable impact for the community.
5 These details were shared this afternoon by Mr Wong at the inaugural
Singapore Youth Conference 2014. The Conference was attended by more than
500 representatives from Youth Sector Organisations, Youth Social Enterprises, schools and Institutes of Higher Learning, and key stakeholders from the public and private sector.
6 The new Youth Corps Singapore logo was also unveiled at the event. More than 90 youths of the pilot intake will begin the first phase of their training programme in mid-June, guided by the appointed community partners. More information on the Youth Corps Singapore and the inaugural Singapore Youth
Conference can be found at Annex A and Annex B respectively.
7 For media queries, please contact:
1. Valerie Yek (Ms)
Assistant Manager (Corporate Communications Division)
Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth
DID: 6837 8976
HP: 8113 9770
Email: Valerie_Yek@mccy.gov.sg
2. Clara Chee (Ms)
Assistant Manager (Corporate Communications)
National Youth Council
DID: 6839 9161
HP: 9618 5990
Fax: 6737 2025
Email: Clara_CHEE@pa.gov.sg

3. Joshua Phua
Senior Client Executive
Edelman Public Relations
DID: 6494 1565
HP: 9682 5824
Email: Joshua.Phua@edelman.com

About Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth
The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth seeks to inspire Singaporeans through the arts and sports, strengthen community bonds, and promote volunteerism and philanthropy.
Since its inception in November 2012, MCCY has been actively engaging the arts, heritage, sports, community and youth sectors. The Ministry aims to bring into sharper focus the efforts to build a more cohesive and vibrant society, and to deepen a sense of identity and belonging to the nation. MCCY will work with its stakeholders to create an environment where Singaporeans can pursue their aspirations for a better quality of life and together, build a gracious and caring society we are proud to call home.
About the National Youth Council
At NYC, we believe in a world where young people are respected and heard, and have the ability to influence and make a difference to the world. Together with our partners, we develop a dynamic and engaging environment where young people are inspired to dream and committed to action. We hear youth >>> Here for youth.
About Outward Bound Singapore
Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) is a centre of excellence for Outward Bound training, challenging young people to achieve their potential and become better citizens. OBS has received many awards for its work in character and leadership development. OBS has two centres: one on the island of Pulau Ubin; which is just off the north-eastern coast of
Singapore and the other which is located on the east coast on mainland Singapore. Its
Children (aged 10-14) and Family courses operate out of the Singapore centre and the
Youth and Adult courses operate out of its centre on Pulau Ubin. OBS offers a wide range of courses lasting up to 21 days in duration and reach out to a broad spectrum of people. It runs one of the largest Outward Bound operations worldwide on a per centre basis with an annual throughput of about 20,000 participants and 90,000 training man-days.

Factsheet
Youth Corps Singapore:
A Boost to Youth Volunteerism
Annex A
Following Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s announcement of the setting up of a volunteer youth corps during the National Day Rally 2013, MCCY and the
National Youth Council (NYC) will be piloting the first intake of youth volunteers in
June 2014. Youth Corps Singapore will match youth volunteers with critical community needs, and help them build the capacity to make sustained and meaningful contributions to society.
2 To provide guidance to Youth Corps Singapore, MCCY has formed an
Advisory Committee chaired by the Minister of State for National Development
Desmond Lee, and comprising representatives from the People, Public, and Private sectors. (The full list of Committee members is attached). The Advisory Committee will: a) Provide advice on the mission, strategic direction, and desired outcomes of the Youth Corps; b) Advise and assist in the design of effective programme delivery and communication strategies for the Youth Corps; c) Share and advise on best practices, assisting in the development of networks and identifying resources for the purposes of establishing and developing a vibrant volunteer Youth Corps.
Implementation Highlights

3 Youth Corps Singapore is open to our youths from all walks of society regardless of academic background. Recruitment for the pilot intake began in Feb
2014, and ended in April 2014. For its pilot intake, Youth Corps Singapore has received a good response with more than 250 applications. The applicants will be shortlisted based on their leadership qualities, commitment to serve the community, and desire to learn.
4 NYC conducted a Request for Proposal (RFP) exercise from 10 December
2013 to 30 January 2014 to identify a pool of community partners who could work with NYC in matching the Youth Corps volunteers to suitable local and overseas community projects. In total, 23 proposals were submitted by organisations which span diverse areas in social services, youth development, and sustainable development, amongst others.
5 Youth Corps Singapore will be implemented in phases, starting with the pilot intake in June 2014. The youth volunteers will undergo a five-day structured residential training programme to equip them with leadership and project management skills to support them in their respective causes and to create sustainable impact for their community. From June till December 2014, the inaugural batch of the Youth Corps participants will undergo their first Semester of
Service and will be taking up either local or overseas community projects.
###

No. Name
1
ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR YOUTH CORPS SINGAPORE
Mr Lee Ti-Seng, Desmond
(Chairman)
2 Ms Low Yen Ling
Designation
Minister of State
(Ministry of National Development)
3
4
5
6
7
Dr Bervyn Lee
Mr Chia Yong Wei, Terence
Mr Chong Leong Fatt
Mr Choo Keng Hui, Ken
Mr Hosea Lai
Mayor, South West District, and
Parliamentary Secretary,
Ministry of Social and Family Development &
Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth
Director, Office of Student Affairs, Singapore
Management University (SMU)
Director (Secretariat), Public Service Commission
(PSC)
Co-Chair, NYCA Advisory Panel
Deputy Principal/Administration/ITE College Central
Director, Department of Student Development,
Singapore Polytechnic (SP)
Deputy Director, Volunteerism, National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC)
Senior Software Development Manager, Oracle 8 Mr Jeffrey Salleh
9 Mr Puvan Ariaratnam
10
11
Ms Serene Goh
Mr Tan Chin Hwee
12 Dr Tan Lai Yong
Deputy Director, Character & Citizenship Education,
MOE
Editor, Singapore Press Holdings (SPH)
Executive Director, Apollo Management
13 Mr Tong Yee
Director, Outreach and Community Engagement,
National University of Singapore (NUS)
Co-Founder and Director, The Thought Collective

To be considered for Youth Corps Singapore, the youth applicant should be:

Singapore Citizens/Permanent Residents residing in Singapore;

Passionate about community needs and willing to work with community partners to co-create solutions;

Team players with a desire to learn;

Able to undergo training upon confirmation of membership with the youth corps; and

Prepared to volunteer for periods of service (3 – 6 months each) in either local or overseas community projects

Time
2.15pm
Annex B
PROGRAMME FOR SINGAPORE YOUTH CONFERENCE 2014
Activity
3.00pm
3.15pm
3.30pm
3.40pm
4.40pm
5.30pm
Registration
Sharing by NYC (includes update on Youth Corps Singapore)
Keynote Address by Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for Culture,
Community and Youth, and Chairman (NYC)
Launch of Youth Corps Singapore logo
Dialogue session with :
Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and
Chairman (NYC);
Mr Desmond Lee, Minister of State for National Development, and
Chairman of the Youth Corps Singapore Advisory Committee; and
Ms Low Yen Ling, Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community, and
Youth;
Mr Darryl David, Council member of the National Youth Council
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin, Youth Representative
Tea and Networking
End

YOUTH CORPS SINGAPORE LOGO AND LOGO RATIONALE
Annex C
Logo Rationale
The crescent and stars on a swirl of red, flowing outwards into a globe signifies
Youth Corps Singapore as global ambassadors who bring hope beyond borders. The swirl of red morphing into a graceful wing captures the spirit of volunteerism: how volunteers choose to soar above complacency, take initiative and venture beyond their comfort zone to make a difference to the world. Dignified yet emotive, the distinct skyward arch of our icon evokes positivism, uplifting lives towards a better future in Singapore and around the world.