06 March 2020
Parliament has unveiled a new programme that offers funds for Singapore’s university and polytechnic students to take part in immersion trips to China, India and countries in South-east Asia.
The programme is called the Asia-Ready Exposure Programme (AEP), and is open to students aged between 15 and 35. The AEP is a tie-up between the National Youth Council (NYC) and Singapore’s higher learning institutes.
The AEP will contribute to the “70-70” target for students announced by Deputy Prime Minister Minister Heng Swee Keat in his Budget statement last month. The goal is for 70 per cent of tertiary students to take part in overseas exposure programmes, and for 70 per cent of them to do so in selected Asian destinations.
NYC’s existing regional programmes for youth, which include the Youth Expedition Project and Youth Expedition Project plus, currently provides about 5,000 youths a year with the opportunity to experience the region.