Major number of Millennials in Singapore are willing to move overseas for work, recent survey conducted by the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Shapers community found.
On the report released on Monday (Aug 28), from 177 Singaporean respondents aged between 18 and 35, about 7 in 10 said that they are willing to work overseas for the sake of advancing their career. Among other countries, the study found Australia and the United States as the top destinations for Singaporean Millennials.
Launched the third time this year, the Global Shapers Annual Survey purposes to provide insight about the thinking, concerns, and priorities of young people around the world. More than 31,000 respondents from 186 countries and territories are taking participation to the survey in 14 languages this year, up from over 26,000 participants last year.
According to the study, when the respondents were asked about the world’s most plaguing problems today, climate change remains on the top list of global concerns for the second year running. Global conflicts or war and inequality issues came as second and third ranks respectively.
Additionally, while young people around the globe are still optimistic in seeing the impact of advanced technology on employment, the survey indicated a declining positive sentiments. Only 79 percent believed that technology will create rather than destroy job opportunities, down 7 percent from 86 percent respondents who agreed with this statement last year.
See: Firms to Adapt to Attract Top Millennial Talents: Study Findings
When asked about how Millennials could create a youth-friendly culture in the work environment, respondents placed opportunities to contribute to the company’s vision and strategy as the most important factor, followed by mentoring opportunities and accepting failure as a learning experience.
In the global level, survey respondents believed that having a startup ecosystem, access to the internet and free media, which includes social media platforms, are the three most important factors in supporting youth empowerment in the future.
Meanwhile, youth in Singapore ranked having a fair and just system as the most important factor, then followed by access to the Internet and a free media, Straits Times reports.
About 60 percent Singapore local respondents also said that it is “very or extremely important” for the government to help and address issues faced by other countries.
Regrading to the rapid ageing population, 7 in 10 local respondents flagged this as the most serious issue that affects Singapore society, compared to half who ranked social and economic inequality as major issues.
Read also: Challenges Faced By Millennial Women in the Workplace