Most youths shun social enterprises as career choice, says NTU survey.

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SINGAPORE: Only 16 per cent of youths in Singapore recognise the social enterprise sector as a model of business that is profit-making and delivers on social returns. That is according to a recent survey of some 440 local youths aged 18 to 25.

Over 70 per cent of the young people surveyed indicated strong reservations or unwillingness to work in a social enterprise for fear of failing to support themselves and their lifestyles.

Among the respondents in the poll, 63 per cent said they knew what a social enterprise was. However, only 35 per cent named "sustainability" as a feature of social enterprises, and a smaller proportion (16 per cent) recognised "profit-making" as a feature of the businesses.

The survey was carried out by a group of final-year students from Nanyang Technological University.

To raise awareness about social enterprise among youths, the students have launched a nationwide campaign. Named "ad.vo.ca.se", it seeks to engage youths in conversations on the viability and necessity of social enterprises in local society.

The campaign is supported by the Social Enterprise Association.

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Personal Reflections:

I think this survey is both encouraging and discouraging to read. It is encouraging to read because we know that at least 16% of the youths in Singapore recognised social enterprise as business model that is both sustainable and able to give back to the society.

It is discouraging to read because it reflects to us the type of society Singapore is currently facing. Youths are afraid to venture into different types of business such as social enterprise for the fear that the pay is not high or just enough to survive and that working in social enterprise is not so much of a good status as compared to those working in banks.

I also think that social enterprise model still has a long way to go and still needs to be reinvent themselves to suit the current trend and needs of the society and community. As I have stated in my previous article, Matt Fountain believes that social enterprise should be able to compete with regular businesses and not depend solely on selling "charity" or "social cause" to the consumers. He even wanted to have 35% of the profit made from his social enterprise to be given out as dividend to attract business people as shareholders. He wanted to market his social enterprise as a luxurious brand.

I think that many social enterprises failed because they spent too much effort and resources into their social mission that they neglected about the business portion. If social enterprise can make a good quality product which is able to make them market a high price to compete with regular businesses, they will be more likely to succeed.

I also think that because of the society, policies and regulations, it makes it hard for youths to choose social enterprise as a career choice because of the fear of failure. And the fear of not making enough money.

Most youths shun social enterprises as career choice, says NTU survey. (2014). Channel News Asia. Retrieved February 14, 2014 from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/most-youths-shun-social/977584.htmlhtml