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SINGAPORE: A new initiative under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) will engage youth in driving digitization efforts within the community and social sectors, Edwin Tong said on Friday (August 28) in the appendix of his ministry to the president’s speech.
“We will create a ‘digital body’, made up of trained youth, who will be deployed to help community and social sector organizations digitize,” said Mr. Tong, Minister of Culture, Community and Youth, noting that there are up to 1,000 opportunities will be created.
MCCY is also partnering with the National Council for Social Services and Tote Board to increase the digital capabilities of the local nonprofit sector, particularly charities.
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It seeks to do the same for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the arts, heritage and sports sectors by taking advantage of the SMEs Go Digital program.
“Due to the economic impact of COVID-19, the road ahead will not be easy for many of these organizations,” said Mr. Tong.
“We will invest in new capabilities that can help them reduce costs, improve service delivery and develop new and exciting products.”
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
As part of creating opportunities for youth to thrive in the future, the ministry will partner with youth sector organizations to provide training in life skills such as leadership and financial planning.
He also hopes to equip young people with skills and knowledge to capitalize on opportunities in the region through the Asia Ready Expo Program, said Mr. Tong.
Youth wellness is also on the MCCY agenda.
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Mr. Tong said that the ministry will partner with youth sector organizations to co-create online resources on mental well-being to allow better access to help.
Peer support among youth in schools and the wider community will also be strengthened through the ministry and its partners.
He added that, as part of the Youth Mental Well-being Network, young people who wish to initiate basic efforts to promote mental well-being will receive support.
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CONVERSE STRONGER EMERGING CONVERSATIONS
The government will also convene the strongest emerging talks, Mr. Tong said.
These conversations will be “an inclusive platform to discuss important and key everyday social issues”, and will allow Singaporeans, including young people, to reflect on and reimagine the future of the country together.
Referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, the minister noted that Singaporeans “have gone through a shared experience that has changed our lives.”
“We must reflect and learn from what is happening and how we can emerge stronger as a society,” he said. “We invite Singaporeans to partner with the government to translate these thoughts and ideas into action.”
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Beyond that, the ministry is committed to supporting the aspirations of local athletes through initiatives like the SportSG special scholarship program and the new Inspire Fund that supports athletes outside of the existing high-performance sports system.
It is also reviewing Our SG Arts Plan and Our SG Heritage Plan, two five-year roadmaps that were implemented in 2018 to chart new directions for the arts and heritage sectors.
“We are reviewing them at the midpoint, based on the experiences, knowledge and aspirations of the arts and heritage communities,” said Mr. Tong.
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