Debated in Parliament on 7 May 2024.
Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what strategies are in place to ensure that members of the Youth Panels that are set up to help shape national policies are representative of the diversity of Singapore's youth; and (b) what training and support is provided to the Panel members to ensure that they are able to undertake their role competently and comfortably.
The inaugural youth panels comprise around 140 youths from different ethnic groups and diverse backgrounds, including secondary school and tertiary students; and young working adults from the private and public sectors. They were appointed from open calls for participation. This diversity enables them to provide valuable perspectives in deliberating policy issues.
The youth panels will also be engaging more youths outside of the panels. Those interested in the policy issues addressed in the Youth Panels can participate in the engagements, led by the Panels and at a new Youth Policy Forum, which the National Youth Council (NYC) will organise later this year. These enable our wider youth population to contribute their views and shape the youth panels' recommendations.
An important outcome from the Youth Panels is for our youths to better understand the policymaking process. To support the Youth Panel members, NYC organised workshops on context setting, policymaking and design innovation to broaden youths' understanding of policymaking tools and processes. The Youth Panels will continue to participate in such workshops in the coming months, as they develop their problem statements and conduct research.
Each Youth Panel is also supported by Government agencies that oversee the respective policy areas. These agencies guide the panels by setting policy contexts and sharing their policy considerations to inform the panels' deliberations.
Interested members of the public may wish to stay updated on the progress of the Youth Panels via NYC's Youth Panels' webpage1.
PAPERCUTS