SINGAPORE, Sept 26 — A conference at the National University of Singapore yesterday was told that in 2023, approximately 17,000 youths aged 15 to 24 in Singapore were neither in education, employment, nor training.

According to the Straits Times, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development, Eric Chua, said this represented 4.1 per cent of the youth population.

He added that the figure was an increase from 3.7 per cent in 2013 and still raised concerns, but was significantly below the global average of 22.4 per cent recorded in 2020,

"This figure equates to about 17,000 youth who have been unable to reach their full potential and may be at risk of being excluded from society,” Chua was quoted as saying during the inaugural Youth Outreach Conference on September 25.

The conference aimed to tackle the issues facing troubled youth, including those identified as "hidden youth,” who withdraw from social engagement and isolate themselves at home.

The 2023 statistics presented for so-called Neet youth — referring to youth, aged 15 to 24, not in employment, education or training — were derived from the Ministry of Manpower’s 2024 Labour Force Survey.

Chua noted the successes of organisations like Care Corner and Fei Yue in reintegrating some youths into society but acknowledged that more effort is needed to support Neet youth and reduce their numbers.

He underscored the significance of a strong family unit in addressing these challenges.

"There’s plenty of literature going around to really examine and dive deep into how the family structure has evolved — I would say, has weakened — over the past few decades,” he added.

Chua also reflected on the changing landscape that today’s youth must navigate. Recalling his own experiences growing up in the 1980s, he noted the stark differences in access to information and social comparisons.

"We live in a world of excesses — excessive information, excessive consumerism. We are made to think or feel that we want a lot of things we actually don’t need in order to feel full, to feel wholesome, to feel happy, to feel content,” he was quoted as saying.

He further said that, paradoxically, this abundance comes alongside a "lack of emotional anchors” and diminished face-to-face social interactions.