Sgp Youth Lifebook (Ii) Print

Young Singaporeans on their way forward

n the landscape of a country one of the brightest more important to understand and recognise young e key to understanding this fast changing most vibrant and hopeful sectors of any population sians who are already shaping the future in sia demographic is to uncover their deeper values and is its young people ey are essentially the future and beyond the way in which they think communicate and of that society and they carry with them the hopes understand their world owever this is just the dreams aspirations and expectations of an entire is brings us to ingapore a profitable and starting point – new lifestyles are derived from generation of parents grandparents teachers and futuristic nation where the wheels of industry older values and mindsets – changed and adjusted friends outh in sia are a particularly interesting and social policy turn like clockwork n some to fit into a new environment and a new faster and and diverse demographic representing of the ways it can be termed a microcosm of a larger more integrated world ounger generations have world s population of young people under the age first world nation – multicultural dynamic always carried different values to their predecessors of ey are the figureheads of an increasingly global technologically future facing safe secure but with the rapid pace of industrialisation open globalised and diverse region that in the past xcept it s a tiny island with a population of globalization and integration– often through has been largely shielded from the rest of the world under million people s a tiny concentration of technology value sets are changing even more youth residing in an sian if not global hub and rapidly and often in stark contrast to those of sian youth has infiltrated the rest of the globe with nglish as one of their primary languages previous generations at an unprecedented speed with the apanese ingaporean youth are probably some of the most and oreans forging the way with their unique connected well travelled and well informed youth is book is an exploration of these young people contributions to global popular culture in fashion groups on the planet s such they are also in a n particular the investigation centers around the music style and design merican recording constant state of flux being presented daily with a new values and modern mindset of these young artist producer and musician harrell illiams plethora of options for education their lifestyles people their attitudes towards ingapore as a global partners with apanese streetwear line athing their futures ey are surrounded and influenced city but also their home and the elements which pe ondon s ictoria lbert useum s hinese by a region that is fast becoming influential on both keep them in ingapore and encourage them esign ow exhibition plays host to unique new the world stage ey want to take their proper to look to other countries for inspiration work and and inspirational modern hinese design sia place not only as citizens of ingapore but also as study is already in the limelight and therefore it s even citizens of the world

e ample ingapore is home to diverse range of young Breakaway Points foreign students from ndonesia and hina who people different socioeconomic levels educational longside identifying the correct attitudes it s were studying locally to further understand the levels different races and of course different important to catch youth at specific stages of their pull that ingapore has for foreign sians and cultures n undertaking this study it was clear that lives where they are more aware of their own bring a different practicle angle to the findings the range of young people we spoke to were to be decision making processes e larger research very specific kind of young ingaporean sample was split into reakaway oints points t some points it felt relevant to include a at which youth are facing an important decision respondent who was outside the target group e initial concern was that talented young making process e core idea was to tap into for the value they would add to the sample cases ingaporeans who are interested in creative or the reasons for these decisions understand them in point were a year old entrepreneur and a alternative careers might want to study and work and then leverage them into realistic and usable year old who is accepted into the first batch of overseas and not return to ingapore – taking their drivers and barriers for the youth engagement with students in ingapore s newly established chool of skill and talent with them ence the impetus on ingapore the rts finding driven ambitious and talented youth with a worldly view e irst reakaway oint is between econdary chool and unior ollege or olytechnic – where Demographics & Attitudes youth on either side of the break the end of outh can mean many things to many different econdary school the beginning of unior ollege people but the core age demographic for youth in or olytechnic were interviewed this study was to years old male and female and multi racial e econd reakaway oint is between unior ollege and niversity – the greatest potential e core idea was to find and engage with young for young ingaporeans to look overseas for study ingaporeans with a specific kind of attitude and opportunities e sample was more heavily mindset they were to be energetic and vital with weighted in favour of this reakaway oint and an open and global sensibility is group of youth more youth at either side of this reakaway oint are a unique set they are not the masses they the end of niversity and the beginning their first are not the average they are a group are bright job were interviewed in comparison to the other worldly and enthusiastic reakaway oints ey are a skilled collective who are willing and reakaway oint occurred at two points – this able to expose their talents to ingapore and the is essentially the last breakaway point and signifies world who have ideas that are fresh and interesting the transition between education and a first job and who are finding unique and modern ways to is reakaway oint can either at the end of express them olytechnic or at the end of niversity and the beginning of a first job e main difference being ey have slightly different slightly offbeat that the olytechnic students are a few years aspirations ballet dancing and culinary arts among younger then those who had completed university them e found those who were educated relatively well travelled articulate and lively e An Inclusive Sample wanted to get a sense of their ambitions their side from being a racially diverse group centered aspirations whether they would leave ingapore around different reakaway oints it was and permanently or whether they felt that they important to include a sample of ingaporean could find a way to accommodate their aspirations youth who were also in different locations around and dreams in ingapore the globe whether for work or for study tudents in hina and ustralia were sourced to contribute ltimately these were to be the young people to the study as well as first jobbers in the in who are tomorrow s industry leaders a small but order to evaluate their opinions representative sample of the youth who will take ingapore into the future o make the research even more robust we sourced

e hod or a study such as this it is essential to engage with youth in a format that feels natural and realistic to them s such ethnography and blogging were the most appropriate methods of research Ethnography nd ethnographic interview is essentially an investigation into a subject in their natural environment keeping them as close to their comfort zone ensures that the research yields true and telling reading of their lifestyle especially in how their environment reflects their lifestyle and attitudes thnographic interviews were conducted with the respondents in their favorite hangout places in their practice studios workplaces in their offices and their bedrooms is made for a more comfortable way in which to speak through and understand their world as well as take in the visual of what really influences them Blogging logging is a less conventional research tool but one which woks particularly well with a youth target or this study blogging was an obvious choice – as blogs are a major part of every teenager s life in particular in sia where certain issues to do with politics sexuality and the like are social taboos outh feel free to express themselves in their blogs especially if the topics feel more sensitive and personal logging feels natural to these young people and as such they were eager to engage in the blogs freely uploading links and pictures of themselves their friends and their lives oth these methodologies give an immersive look into their lives and their world

( ew) alues & ttitudes oung ingaporeans are realistic and positive about receiving news inspiration entertainment and their lives ey have an optimistic and hopeful updates from around the world on their mobile state of mind – everything feels possible but they phones and computers ey feel connected to a are aware that they have to work hard and persevere global flux of youth culture and as such the do not if they expect to achieve the lofty goals to which feel trapped in ingapore in any way and as such they aspire they don t feel the need to escape Reali ic… but Optimi ic! ese youth are outward looking they are e realism in their outlook seems to stem from knowledgeable about the world and they want a sense of hard work and perseverance which is to see feel and experience more and more ey ingrained in them from an early age at school level feel that ingapore is a good home and a good where they are streamed early on into academic place to establish oneself but due to basic physical classes t that stage which they are taught to and geographical constraints its size its constant apply themselves in order to achieve hile the weather patterns and its ideological constraints streaming aspect of the school system comes ideas on education future money and social under heavy fire from youth it does establish behaviour they are curious and eager to see what a mindset whereby it s believed that hard work the world outside has to offer reaps tangible rewards any students feel that the strict streaming system dictates their future is realistic but optimistic mindset forms the at too early an age and there needs to be more framework for the a more detailed investigation space to breathe and explore at least at the school into their values level evertheless the spirit of perseverance and dedication to hard work seems well established in this group e inherent positivity in their minds comes not only from simply being young but also from living in a modern world they feel that anything and everything is possible is occurs on two levels both locally and on a more global level ingapore the country itself provides a stable home base from which these young people feel confident to reach out and realize their dreams ere is an obvious and expressed appreciation of the positive infrastructural aspects of ingapore – safety and security cleanliness efficiency of the government working infrastructure hile there is the obvious flip side to ingapore which is expressed conservatism censorship and the like however in terms of infrastructures ingapore is seen is a very positive light Citizens of the World n a global level – these youth feel that borders no longer bind them ey are generally well travelled having been to urope the ustralasia and other parts of sia ey are constantly connected to the world via the internet and constantly

“Success for me is very clear cut – split into public success and private success. To me someone is only successful if he hanging has achieved both. e nitions Public success is easy of uccess to recognize, when Oppo- you’ve made it in terms e ew uccess and the validation and acceptance of failure express the most extreme manifestation of the new mindset of young of your career, wealth, ingapore n order to understand this new version of success it is important to acknowledge the myth site: of typical ingapore success e much talked about s credit card country club condo car status and friends. Private cash seemed to be the calling card of success in older generations longside this stable careers such as doctor lawyer engineer accountant and in the sense that you the like were the typical and conventional ways to Sencai success and a materially wealthy professional life have a healthy family life, ingapore online entrepreneur aniel writes in his blog adly society defines success as material success st class honours cholarship s igh net worth t s a sad but true facet of society your family loves each must say it has been ingrained in ingapore which has a winner takes all mentality other, you have a good ese routes to success seem old fashioned to modern ingaporean youth ore than simply a reaction to the old conventions the growth of new ideas of success and lifestyle is rooted relationship with your in this generation s sense of self ey are not ingaporean in the same way as their parents – they feel they are citizens of the world they spouse and children.” no longer feel bound by typical ingaporean boundaries physical or ideological - Zachary outh express a need for simpler less hurried life more relaxed and filled with true and worthy experiences with family friends and partners ey want to enjoy a life that has a balance of professional and personal success year old laire ei studying in ustralia blogs feel the world is so concerned about getting ahead of each other that no one stops and thinks of the simple things like a home cooked dinner with your family members e move away from typical material success is signified by a need for greater intellectual stimulation and emotional fulfillment greater need to enjoy a well rounded life and a need for fulfilling human interaction oney and material objects are recognized as important but a life balance is desired and actively pursued Opposite: encai

“We have plans to expand to Hong Kong, China and Australia.” ntrepreneureal pirit - Daniel “We focus long with the desire for a more open inclusive be good if something new and interesting could be and balanced life more and more young introduced into ingapore ingaporeans feel the need to start their own on trying businesses e entrepreneurial spirit is alive and New business models thriving in these young people – they are full of ew business models being formed with to the ideas and inspiration and see avenues that are expansion of new industries in particular the fresh unique and exciting nspiration comes from internet nline businesses offer a multitude of overseas or from their intense interest in their passions opportunities for the young entrepreneur – business are easy to set up have little or no overhead costs can be run hours a day on a very small staff if to get hundreds ere are three very practical and attractive forces not only one person and are accessible to millions that are pushing the strong entrepreneurial spirit in of people across the globe young ingapore and hether it s online gaming online retail or A Talented Bunch making yourself into a super blogger online is group feels they are talented ey want the opportunities are ripe with opportunity – express themselves show their skill in a public particularly in a country where broadband forum and make a living from their passion living that drives them beyond material and financial gain is is in line with the new mindset connections and speeds are technically superior and young ingaporeans are taking advantage of them nline fashion retailing is a particularly thousands of people that they have adopted and also to do with the fertile area – with ingapore based e boutiques changing view on success it s not as simple – nor as incorporating a number of international labels dull – as becoming a high earner anymore year regularly advertising and garnering local and old i ing a graduating raphic esign student international clientele ak sg and eebonz com at a alle ollege and design entrepreneur blogs e reason set up my own business was because are examples of a new way of boutique shopping managed out of ingapore onto our game… didn t want to live the life was living at n a new and very modern twist of fate the regular was working in a dull advertising agency which process of a real life business taking itself online made designers create advertising layouts that came has been reversed ow in ingapore and beyond we were with strict requirements decided to break the online blog retailers have moved offline to provide monotonous working life routine at that point real life service in real time in real stores multi label clothing store in cott s oad s ar ast laza Carving their niche called the est of logshops hosts several online e existing industries – especially in ingapore – don t offer enough variety and scope and young ingaporeans are excited to expand the horizons of stores that have surfaced in real life urther proof that online businesses are sustainable profitable multi faceted career options for young people on Channel News Asia.” what already exists e industry size in ingapore is partly an issue of scale – the country is simply ame is a stock market type online game which has not large enough to accommodate creative been developed into a business by s ingaporean - Keith industries comparable to those in larger uropean entrepreneur allowing friends to buy and sell or merican cities stocks of each other it s fun and profitable and once again illustrates a bright idea needs and oung minds are always looking for inspiration deserves attention in order for it to bloom and as such there seems to be a gap to fill year old ollette blogs m thinking of opening up my Opposite: eith s online gaming business own patisserie or dessert bar ere aren t many patisseries and bars in ingapore and ingaporeans are always game to try something new it would

“Given the chance to go overseas of course I would go overseas… I’m curious oreign xposure about a city I haven’t seen hile ingapore is largely seen as a good place to grow with family young ingaporeans are curious ne such area is dance encai coming to the n some ways curiosity is a little more intense for end of his secondary school education hopes to before.” ingaporeans because they are constantly exposed apply to the ong ong cademy of erforming to the world outside their physical and ideological rts in order to fulfill his passion of becoming island through the media – in particular the a professional ballet dancer e feels that the internet well travelled family members and friends vocational ballet education in ingapore is of a - Sencai ere are of course different drivers for interest in foreign countries an interest purely in the cultural and creative aspects an interest in education and lower caliber than that of world renowned and further – needs overseas exposure in order to dance professionally in ingapore e says environment in ingapore still not there so you e the experience of studying in a different country cant learn many things for example in ingapore and for those at the right life stage – an interest allet cademy you need to go overseas before in the business and professional opportunities becoming a company dancer but overseas there are overseas the academy schools and if you do well you can move straight into the company when u complete Culture auditions e thrill of visiting the world s mega cities ew ork ondon and okyo is bolstered by the Professional myths surrounding them that they offer a unique or those already in the working stage of their vibrant and eclectic mix of activities in food art lives the opportunity to work overseas or simply design architecture and social life urther they experience a taste of a different lifestyle is a potent offer the general buzz of big cities that are so driver to spread their wings and literally fly unlike ingapore e weather the scale and the sheer variety of new things to do in other places or some the experience of living and working are a big draw card there is invaluable in terms of exposing themselves to the standards of creative work in other countries n some cases the history of a place makes it all in particular if they feel industry in ingapore is the more worth seeing in other cases it s the call not that well developed n example of this is of nature for some it s the buzz of a modern fashion hile ingapore has a fashion culture city year old iki blogs ondon left a big the influence of merican and uropean trends on impression on me love the architecture like global fashion and style cannot be underestimated t auls or estminster the history behind it the az ashion ditor of magazine talks modernity just all the little things on the street the culture of fashion overseas versus that in like the buskers and such laire has a different ingapore ew orker will never step out viewpoint d love to trek through the humid wearing shorts and flip flops it s like designer flip rainforest or perhaps on the dusty plains of flops or make the effort to make sure you look frica to watch lions prowl and hippos bathe good quirk is frowned upon here Education s such inspiration and standards of fashion are ducation overseas is probably the most important higher in other countries and in order for her to aspect of foreign exposure n some cases ingapore flourish and expand her skills set it s ideal for her simply does not offer the kind of specialized to work overseas particularly in one of the fashion education that some youth need to progress into capitals of the world like ew ork their professional careers n some cases specific tertiary courses are not offered locally in other Opposite: ew ork by az cases courses offered overseas are considered of a higher caliber than local courses – in particular in some very specialized areas

“My dad gives me support when I want to do music – he says: “Let him be y amily, y oots happy and do something he can hile many of this new generation s values seem enters like the ingapore chool of the rts outward looking and self focused there is a very and ingapore ports chool offer stable and secure grounding for their confidence clear and practical ways for youth to engage in their appreciate.” and in some cases – their incredible drive to excel creative or alternative passions while ensuring that their families they are working on more regular and stable future options as well e value of family feels like one of the oldest and most traditional set of values to hold it also feels the most modern and contemporary as it still fundamentally affects the way in which these young or youth their parents belief and encouragement means the most to them t is the ultimate validation and it s no surprise that some of the most My dad is awesome!” people make their decisions determined and optimistic of this youth group have encouraging and progressive parents amily is the backbone of their lives and even arpal - Narpal though they might not agree with their parents Opposite: views they ultimately make decisions with their parents and sometimes broader family interests in mind ilial piety is natural to sian society and while young ingapore is intently focused on their dream and forging their way forward they are in no way denying their rightful duties as children nor do they wish to hat feels the most modern about the family value is that it is slowly expanding and growing broader and less rigid in scope long with their children parents are also changing their view on life and their attitude towards alternative and different career paths and interests hile parents are not changing immediately there is a sense from general research and even in youths minds that their parents are less rigid than they had previously thought n some cases it seems like one parent is positive and open while the other is more cautious and strict but it is natural that they want their children to have a bright and stable future arents are in the unique and difficult position where they have to span two worlds one the world they grew up in with the values that were instilled in them when ingapore was a very different place e other world is the modern world of their children where things have changed drastically and where they need to adopt new ways of thinking in order to understand their children s passions and motivations omething which feels emergent and also bolsters parents more progressive thinking is the encouragement and legitimization by the broader establishment of more alternative ways of thinking

“I feel whatever you do, you should give back to society... I would come back to be an instructor, to educate and teach dance... iving ack or have a school.” - Sencai hat feels like the most emergent and surprising value in the new youth mindset is their sense of civic responsibility one that is indicative of them looking at themselves as part of a broader society and taking into account their own responsibility and actions and the consequences thereof is new value is the urge to give back to society n several instances the interviewees have mentioned that even though they d like or need to travel overseas they d like to return to ingapore to give something back to the society here is is not a simple act of charity but matches well with the new entrepreneurial and open minded spirit that this group have t is also an extension of their wish for a more balanced life that fact that they want to help other achieve the balance that they themselves are planning for n the act of giving back to their home country there seems to be a higher order more noble need which indicates a reverse of typical older values of self suﬃciency and material wealth ractically they envision this type of contribution as being a part of their entrepreneurial eﬀorts oming back to ingapore to establish businesses and then in some way contribute through their skills to society and in particular to the new and younger generations is is particularly relevant to those who want a future in an industry that is only growing in ingapore – environmental concerns dance or culinary arts f anything the emergence of this entirely new value shows that the youth of ingapore are indeed a progressive and self aware group who do have their roots in their home country and have a vested interest not only in their own futures but in the futures of those around them Opposite: ng oh io econdary chool

“The best thing about Singapore would be security, the worst is our ungraciousness.” - Daniel ingapore, ome & ore... “Despite its ow does this young generation who are so globalised and forward thinking relate to their home country of ingapore t s all too easy to suppressive imagine their view as either deadly negative but as with their mindset their view of the country not a polarized one they look at ingapore in a way which is much more nuanced and colorful ith elements that are positive and negative – neither side being entirely separate from the other nature, I truly believe that our t makes sense that a generation who are open indeed and globalised will not see their country as an entity within itself but rather in comparison and contrast to other places and different ideologies around them and then rather than accept or reject naturally meld these different influences together to arrive at their own view of ingapore government is ne topic that continuously referenced is the ingaporean government hile there is a lot the best in the world. Our leaders of talk about controlling role that it plays in ingapore society there is no doubt that its efforts are recognised and appreciated by its youth e government is largely seen through the lens of the infrastructures that it creates and maintains healthcare education safety and have foresight, tact and wisdom. security environmental consciousness political and economic stability e youth are well versed enough with the world through direct or indirect exposure to understand that these infrastructures are rare and even rarer when combined in one country ey are appreciative of and encouraged by the stability they see around them and this They recognise pressing needs in creates a good base for their expansive and curious attitude and also creates a good reason for them to want to return to their home verall there is a large amount of goodwill towards ingapore it s a place where youth feel comfortable safe and well taken care off t s a stable base from the country and which they feel they can reach their goals o put a finer point on it there are different aspects of ingapore that evoke these responses ome are address them promptly.” more clinical other responses are more emotive but all are nuanced - Zachary

“I feed you, you vomit you get an ‘A’.” - Narpal “I’d never put my children through an education system like that.” - Keith arriers hile goodwill towards the ingapore exists there e pressure mounts to such an extent that some are definitely elements seen as potential barriers of the more restless and under achieving turn to e kiasu spirit of the country comes up again and for engagement with ingapore on the longer rebellion and possibly worse year old eith again the emphasis on material goods the s and term ome of barriers are experienced in specific says a win at all costs mindset all point out moded situations or in specific industries others seen a values that youth feel out of touch with and they general societal traits and just the way it is n e education system was o as say and get come under severe criticism year old achary either case these are elements that deter or at worst grades don t want to put my kids through that blogs crush the passions of young ingaporeans education t s very pressurizing at one point in time was contemplating suicide in primary do acknowledge the fact that the odds were Schooling school think in ingapore in kids think of against us and we overcame it and am proud e education system is the one aspect that that that was when was or years old but am sometimes also ashamed of the way continually comes under fire from youth – rimary ery extreme ingaporeans behave often find myself academic streaming in schools the intense pressure subconsciously placing myself in the shoes of to win at all costs and the fact that from a young ere is a feeling that there needs to be less foreigners what must they think of our inglish age their futures are dictated by the type of school emphasis on marks and exams more on our running for the s when the door isn t even they attend and the kind of marks and points they experiential learning year old arpal speaks opened yet our poor service our unwillingness to are able to earn e pressure to succeed seems about his vision of learning and education lots go the extra mile for a stranger nd it paints a very to have reached dramatic proportions and there of independent schools are prying away from the ugly side of ingapore that unfortunately am not is a lot of dissatisfaction with the way in which education system as it s too rigid feed you you proud of educational institutions operate since the emphasis vomit you get an in my school they don t feed of the current education system seems to be more you they want to see effort and resourcing aniel commiserates e only thing would like on attaining a grade then necessarily understanding you need to be a resourceful individual in the real to change about ingapore is the kiasu spirit that the value of a lesson rom a young age youth are world no one will give you jack shit is prevalent in almost all ingaporeans t seems streamed into different academic streams and only to be ingrained in our psyche from young think the ones in the highest streams will realistically be hile this seems to be opening up now with the this spirit brings with it much stress and stifles able to get into a good junior college and therefore arrival of and and a seemingly new creativity into a university system of education in epublic olytechnic which encourages education in a different manner and the t s easy to think that this group of youth seem ne real life indication of this is the amount of opportunity to follow more creative paths there is to want to isolate themselves from ingaporean time spent on schoolwork and in tuition outside of a distinct dissatisfaction with the regular schooling behaviour but it s less about the people and more school longside regular schoolwork scholars have system as it stands because the entire system seems about the things which they value in life which are to deal with extra tuition s and sometimes to be geared towards more old fashioned values less materialistic and more and more about quality independent extra activities like the race to make money and leading a fulfilling life year old lya expresses her dissatisfaction ven Broader Society Opposite: eith s report book if you re really smart your parents will push you to e view on ingaporean societal behaviour is be smarter in ingapore it s like that m not very a negative one outh are able to easily discern happy about it but it s to a point where it s so between the efficient and first world infrastructure important to excel in your studies ou go to school and the rather basic behaviour of the citizens of from am to pm choolwork tuition then piano ingapore and while they freely admit that people and ballet it s tiring is lifestyle is common f are ingapore s greatest resource those very people you have nglish aths and cience tuition its are the ones who seem to tarnish the image of like it comes with school and it follows through ingapore and when you go up you go to secondary school if u don t have tuition you re lost ou don t know ese people seem to be of an older generation what to do because you re so used to being guided or those with lower education levels or simply buy this rd person you don t know how to study those who have a less global and liberal mindset on by yourself and take notes uition is spoon other words – not this generation of open minded feeding young people

“I covered 14 cities last year! Shanghai, Beijing, Madrid, Berlin, Hamburg, Amsterdam... In December and lobality January I went to Australia, and in March this iewing themselves on the world stage is not hard for these young people s the world gets smaller through technology and due to the fact that many year I went to of them have already travelled they are aware of themselves as citizens of the global village number of factors contribute to this one of the main factors being that ingapore has always outwardly positioned itself as a world class country one which is future facing international and Barcelona.” - Faz well connected to sia and the rest of the world urrent mass communications – the push towards better nglish language usage and the more recent push for speaking andarin further strengthen this idea e emphasis that ingapore places on securing talent from overseas and the amount of skilled foreign workers in ingapore all contribute to a feeling that their country is on the global stage e modern fact of ease of travel affordable airfares and ingapore s effective and efficient connections to other parts of the world make travel seem easy and accessible to many young people this almost eradicated borders and making the world smaller and smaller e internet is a further contributor to this state of mind e world is radically different for this generation than for any before them as the furthest reaches of their imagination are captured in the internet with no time or geographical constraints ey feel connected to global youth culture through their computer screens and even talking to family and friends who live far away is as easy as activating an application is global state of mind is a sign of modern times and means that ingaporean youth are on par with the most advanced and proactive youth in the world ready to take on the global challenges Opposite: achary with classmates in witzerland

“The best thing about Singapore is the sense of rootedness.” - Claire “The government pringboard & agn is also pretty pro-family, due aking into account the different elements of ingapore – the positives such as the infrastructure and the elements that are more difficult for youth to our declining to deal with such as the education systems and general societal attitudes it s clear that ingapore is both a springboard and a magnet birthrate, and springboard in that it is able to nurture youth through stable and secure infrastructures and family life to the point where they are ready to face hence it would the wider world and feel confident in themselves and their abilities and skills to compete on a broader scale definitely be ideal magnet in that there are always the elements that draw youth back to ingapore amily is a large part of this but more than family the feeling that to raise a family ingapore is a home and a place to make a future in their career making their own families and making a place for themselves in a place where they know in a country that they are welcome side from the infrastructures and family playing an important role there is an emergent feeling that encourages ingapore itself is changing in terms of it s strict laws and policies and encouraging a greater sense of inclusivity and liberal thought laire blogs families... I’ll f ever were to start a family ingapore would be a place to bring one up ot only is it safe believe our education system is one of the best definitely return to especially now since the government is revamping primary education to include less tests and exams and instead encouraging exploration into many Singapore once I different areas of interest a child may have feel that this would lead to a future generation of ingaporeans more aware of the world around them am ready to start and more proactive in things that are happening in the world n the future can only envision ingapore becoming an even greater place to raise a family a family.” ere is a positivity in the youth for the most part they are not looking to escape ingapore but - Zachary simply spread their wings fly and experience life knowing they have a safe place to return to

“Frankly speaking, I think studying in SMU is even more competitive than studying in any universities in China.” – Xinyue oreign er e ive hile ingaporeans are excited to travel live “I would definitely set up a business in or work overseas to improve their skills or simply to experiment ingapore provides that experience to youth from other countries e Singapore... the laws stable infrastructures cleanliness and efficiency of ingapore coupled with the nglish as the social and business language make ingapore a good choice for foreign sians for study and education hile local youth continuously compare ingapore to overseas countries in terms of the rather staid and regulations here are not as complicated as local mindset ingapore provides this more liberal experience for foreigners year old onco an ndonesian student studying locally blogs ocial life in ingapore is more open as compare to other countries in outh ast sia especially ndonesia or instance in terms of homosexuality other countries. More straight-forward and less ingaporeans are more open as compared to my local ndonesians friends at is one of the reason why should say that this country is already on corrupt.” the modern level as they are more open minded to certain things that still considered taboo in other countries e competitive edge in the ingapore education and professional areas which is seen by locals as a largely negative is a big draw card for foreigners who feel that their own home countries might not – Ponco provided such a rigorous or competitive edge to business or study ese foreign students feel that they are being prepared well for a competitive and increasingly globalised workplace inyue a hinese student studying in blogs lthough it is very difficult to get high grades my study here is not bad think the system here makes it more difficult to fail than to score well s long as put in some effort and pay attention in class won t fail owever am always trying to get a better result n the longer term future they feel that due to ingapore s strict business practices less corruption encouragement of entrepreneurship and ways of working establishing a business locally is at least a viable if not a totally desirable option for them pposite op hinese student inyue ottom ndonesian student onco

eir tories... s a way of understanding this target thoroughly it s useful to think of them in terms of different typologies – types of people depending on their experience and current circumstances or this research it s useful to understand youth in terms of the paths they have taken in their lives either educationally or professionally ore than their paths though it s useful to understand from a business perspective how and why they have made the decisions that they have made arious factors have contributed for example to youth studying overseas or in some case why they have not followed their passions and in some cases why they have been so confident in following their dreams ach typology and indeed each different case has specific drivers and barriers e following section is intended to expose the specific drivers and barriers for the most relevant cases in each of the different typologies by presenting the story of a real life ingaporean who is on creating their own future by making decision in the present ere are four different typologies identified ragmatists ptimists reamers and orchbearers Pragamati s outh who have passions and dreams of careers in alternative fields but have chosen for various reasons to take a more conventional path in their lives sometimes to the total exclusion of their original passion Optimi s ose who have taken a more practical path than their original passion but who plan to return to that dream from a different and more realistic angle Dreamers ose who have their sights set on their more alternative career goals and are actively and practically planning a way to achieve it Torchbearers ose who have already achieved a career path which is relatively alternative in a ingaporean context

syikin - ragm t year old syikin is currently taking a gap year aturally part of the thrill of taking up the and interning as a journalist in a media company scholarship is to experience life outside of in ingapore he is the recipient of a prestigious ingapore which she considers a safe but small ingaporean scholarship and is going to study a and boring place e regularity and routine business related degree in ew ork niversity seems boring and she wants is eager to experience next year owever her passion lies in singing and life outside even though she cannot necessarily the performing arts imagine what it might be like only that it s like ingapore but times better hile she is genuinely interested in business studies and in journalism it seem that right now true pragmatist syikin is taking a practical she is doing all that she can to explore the world of route urged by her family and scholarship he arts and performance doing small acting pieces in is also excited to leave ingapore to get a taste of a piece for ingapore ational ay promotional life in ew ork t seems that syikin s beliefs in materials taking part in her secondary school herself are relatively conservative she doesn t really drama club and their performances taking private consider herself very liberal is coupled with singing lessons which she pays for herself and fulfilling her practical concerns and the lack of going to casting calls even though she has to hide well developed arts scene in ingapore means that it from her parents she will likely put her dream aside syikin admits she comes from a very conservative family and as such they expect her to follow a secure and stable career path take advantage of the opportunities on offer and study in regular and practical degree he says of her parents ey have high hopes of me to get this prestigious scholarship syikin herself is concerned about her future and doesn t see much of an arts scene in ingapore even if this is a career path that she wants to pursue aking up her scholarship means is the natural thing to do my parents have worked so hard she says might as well do it owever this means that she will have to take a more regular type of study in and as such she ll have to mostly leave the performing arts behind though she hopes to get him to do this outside of her studying activities in ew ork and perhaps afterwards back in ingapore want to so musical theatre combine singing and dancing want to combine as many different experiences as possible don t to miss out syikin sees this gap year as crucial to her life in that it might be the last chance she has to really explore her passion and indulge in singing acting and performance before knuckling down the serious business of studying overseas and fulfilling hers and her family s practical hopes for her future

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encai - reamer year old encai is in his final year in ng oh one of the most prestigious performing arts schools io secondary school and his passion is dance in sia the ong ong cademy of erforming encai started out at years old doing hip hop rts e is hoping to apply for the dance as an extra curricular activity t that time prestigious ational rts ouncil scholarship in he took part in a number of different performances ingapore in order to help achieve his dream of slowing moving from hip hop dance to modern overseas study side fro that he had a back up dance finally settling into classical ballet encai plan also influences by his mentor – that is to is currently a student at ingapore allet study various physiotherapy or related studies in cademy and eagerly taking junior roles in order to bolster his involvement with performing professional productions of ballet classics such arts and physical training as ingapore ance eatre s e utcracker inderella and wan ake encai has a well rounded view of his future and is eagerly anticipating it rom a family point of view encai also trains in ballet at his school where his parents are encouraging his interest in dance his mentor – whom he describes affectionately with the caution that his academics must be kept at as his brother – esper guides him through the a high standard so that he has more choices for his training and discipline he needs in order to become future hile his family doesn t know much about a professional ballet dancer esper has had an dance or even the performing arts encai s mentor incredible influence on encai s development as has stepped in and encouraged him to plan well for a dancer – providing not only the guidelines for his future to try and achieve his dreams training but also information and a professional insight into the industry and education systems encai hopes to return to ingapore after a stint esper himself is a retired ballet dancer who studied overseas to teach and perhaps establish a school in ondon and then ustralia and has returned to here where he can help young dancers to achieve ingapore to teach again t is under his influence their dreams that encai is able to expose himself to the world of ballet outside of ingapore enabling encai to immerse himself in the world of ballet via outube and his own online research in the ballet greats like ikhail aryshnikov side from inspiration and under is mentor s influence encai is also able to search online to concretise his future plans encai is in the special situation where it is essential for him to study overseas in order to achieve his dream e environment in ingapore still not there so cant learn many things for example n ingapore allet cademy you need to go overseas before becoming a company dance but overseas there are academy schools and if u do well u can move straight into the company when u complete auditions e appeal of going overseas is really twofold for curiosity and general cultural exposure as well as for professional and educational reasons but overseas education is expensive and requires preparation and finances encai has his eyes set on

“I feel I’m a very special person doing things that people don’t normally do...” - Sencai

lya - reamer lya dreams of becoming a chef – it is a passion stopped cooking at home and cook at untie she has held dear sine a young age and one which ora s house um doesn t like me using her she is firmly working towards year old lya has kitchen don t know if it s her pride but it just just finished unior ollege and is taking a gap doesn t work out for her want to learn her year in order to work as a barrister earn and save recipes traditional cooking eranakan food cook money and work towards her future plans he has alay food a decidedly self described un ingaporean take on education ike many in the alternative or creative arts fields lya is well aware that overseas study will benefit her ve had enough of the books want the much more than local study and that the standards experience was so excited to go to work doing and reputation of foreign culinary schools are more something other that studying oesn t mean ve globally recognized and the training more rigorous studied enough but just right now don t want than what she can find in ingapore nder untie to do that know if want to be a chef need to ora s encouragement lya is now looking to apply be in the kitchen learning new things f really for a prestigious unrice ulinary rts scholarship want to do this then need to do what need to which does part of heir training locally and part do overseas he describes unrice as her stepping stone to overseas etermined to get into the lya s father is a strong believer in independence program she also plans to add to her application and this he has been a guiding light in her life – credentials and apprentice locally with regionally from the fact that she didn t have a tutor in school acclaimed chef ustin ow and managed her exams independently to the fact that she is now working hard to achieve her dream lya hopes to return to ingapore and open her own of becoming a recognized chef ood is her passion restaurant describing it as a place where she cold as she explains cook anything that her patrons want they just have to request it ooking just makes me so happy when people eat my food and like it it feels like an achievement full course and people are full it makes me just happy ood food has to be healthy and balanced like protein etc cant have too many carbs n a meal always think of balance and not feeling very full after that ust nice read a lot of cookbooks a whole selection ones e rocer has a mega selection and borrow them to read at home and get inspired and just want to create my own thing espite any reservations her family might have about her chosen career lya is determined to give it a try and is encouraged by a friend s mom she affectionately calls untie ora untie ora has constantly provided support for lya believing in her talent and urging her to go further and explore her passion for food to the point where she even let s lya cook in her kitchen when she cannot do so at home t home my mom uses the kitchen so if anyone goes in it never comes out right to her so

“I don’t want to be 25 and not doing what I want... I want be in a kitchen or catering business by then!” - Ilya

ei - orchbearer eith is a year old e entrepreneur who has actualisation and personal achievement than success co founded his online gaming company woozh for public acclaim e admires the estern with his ndonesian business partner e most well ways of life which he feels are more free and known aspect of eith s business is his online stock creative than the culture of ingapore e more market game ame where friends are able to trade conservative mindset is even present in his home themselves and each other as stocks and earn points online e idea started as a project for a local y mom believes in using her hands to do her bank where he was working freelance as a project work rather than using brains to get something manager developing an online trading application that other people can understand a practical for the bank s use e idea took off and eith reason why they she doesn t think can make a was able to secure funding from ingapore living out of it anagement niversity as well as an offer of office space in which to set up his business ith eith is hopeful about the future and about the further funding eith is now looking to expand his way ingapore is moving he believes that when he business more globally with his eye on the becomes a parent with his life experience – that he ll be more open minded with his children e is t s quite a success story for a young man who positive about the systems in place at that he describes himself as a delinquent says allow project grades to contribute substantially towards the final grade unlike systems on other rew up as a delinquent as really lazy in sec universities where the exams mark counts the most school so was hanging out with ah bengs play lots of football was in track and field did sports grew eith has made his dream come true even when up not following rules faced with the toughest odds e has succeeded by taking advantage of ingapore s growing and eith s story is a rags to riches one and he is online business culture and applying his creativity the odd exception e describes himself as a to head a flourishing business which is so much late bloomer and as such his experience in the more than a mere computer game strict ingaporean schooling system was less than encouraging n primary school eith was streamed into the highest academic stream due to his high academic record but as a lazy student and facing constant pressure with the academic load he was punished constantly and increasingly he became demoralised was contemplating suicide in primary school n econdary chool realized didn t need to deal with this was second last one on the whole level just threw myself see how badly behaved was as a kid when was in sec or or years old that was when was streamed again n ec and was in the last class again in my level and that was where all the semi delinquents were eith s turnaround came when he was able to really explore an area like – where he felt creative and capable and less restricted than he had in his school years urther his exposure to foreign ways of life – visits to urope and the helped legitimize his views on life which are closer to self

“I also founded a company for retail, sellig MP3’s… that was when I started enjoying my achievements... it pushes me and keeps me on my game.”

az - orchbearer az full name azilla is the year old fashion and open and people express their creativity in any editor of magazine she is responsible for number of ways – in art graffiti film food and the fashion look and feel of the magazine which fashion he hopes to get an opportunity to work includes styling fashion shoots picking models in the in particular in ew ork ity where and locations writing and sourcing items aving the fashion industries are well developed and home started out as a freelancer working on a project to the most inspirational fashion imagery and by project basis for local magazines like uice magazines in the world atalogue and hape az has managed to carve herself a sizable reputation in the local industry hile she has managed to achieve a relatively and it was a pleasant surprise when she was asked good position in ingapore az still feels that at to be fashion editor for this new and stylish men s this young age she would benefit immensely from magazine exposure to a more developed and mature fashion and creative industry such as those in urope or hile az studied journalism she has always tried the to do her best to follow her dreams and with a little luck and a lot of effort she has managed to find a fulfilling career in fashion owever the path to success was not without its difficulties some of which have stemmed from the conservative views of her family in terms of her work ere was an issue with freelancing eople ask my father what am doing and he would say he is doing part time or he doesn t have a job yet think it is also security my parents have been used to a life where people go to work and freelancing is something that do from home eir generation is different perception and they are used to something else they don t want to change nd her social life tell my friends that if my parents knew half the things do outside of the house they would ship me away to audi rabia and send me to some uslim nunnery and they are hardcore espite the perception gap between herself and her parents she is still perseveres in her chosen career though admits that it is somewhat of an uphill battle in ingapore e conservative nature of the general population means that their sense of fashion and in the broader sense their creativity is quite limited and as such she feels the need for foreign exposure az is an avid traveler – as she is eager for exposure to different cultures in particular more artistic and immersive way of life urope and the are her favorite locations – where the culture is more free

“A New Yorker wouldn’t step out wearing shorts and flip flops, it’d be like designer flip flops or make effort to make sure look good… quirk - here in Singapore - is frowned upon.”

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Sgp Youth Lifebook (Ii) Print

by Dinah Saw on Nov 08, 2009

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Sgp Youth Lifebook (Ii) Print — Document Transcript