The HKFYG’s Youth Research Centre has released the latest results of the “Youth Value Indicators” survey

While most interviewed young people have regained hope for the future, a small portion still holds a negative outlook on life. Youth’s confidence in biliteracy, trilingualism and creativity needs to be improved, while social participation has weakened. Confidence in the implementation of “One Country, Two Systems” and the development prospects of the two regions have shown a slight recovery. The HKFYG aims to strengthen youth participation, wellness development, promote digital transformation, and talent nurturing.

The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups’ (HKFYG) Youth Research Centre (22 February) released the latest “Youth Value Indicators 2022” survey results. Overall, among the 525 young people aged 15 to 39 who were interviewed, was their expressed hope for the future, and their confidence in the increased development prospects of Mainland China and Hong Kong. However, their confidence in self-ability evaluation needs to be improved, their level of social participation has declined.

Based on the analysis of past survey results, the interviewed young people who recognise themselves as useful and beneficial individuals, increase from 73.1% in 2021 to 81.2%. The percentage of those who have hope for the future has increased to 70.1% in recent years. As for those who have a negative life outlook, the percentage has risen from 17.3% in 2017 to 25.6% in 2022, fluctuating around a quarter in recent years. This reflects that although young people have regained some self-affirmation and hope for the future, there are still a few who hold a negative life outlook and question their self-worth.

In addition, 78.6% of the interviewed young people agree that an individual can have multiple occupations at the same time. Since this proposition was first introduced in 2019, the agreement rate has remained above 70%, indicating that young people tend to embrace a flexible work employment model. However, the confidence of the interviewed young people in their biliteracy and trilingualism, and creativity has declined in recent years. Regarding the youth’s recognition of lifelong learning, it accounts for 81.0%, slightly declining in recent years.

The survey also shows that the confidence of the interviewed young people in the implementation of “One Country, Two Systems” has gradually increased to 37.7%. As for confidence in the development prospects of Mainland China and Hong Kong, they have increased to 42.9% and 37.7% respectively in recent years. The confidence of young people in the future development prospects of the country and Hong Kong has shown a consistent trend.

The survey also found a downward trend in the participation of young people in volunteering, charitable donations, and serving as civic groups and committee members, accounting for 27.6%, 60.6%, and 10.7% respectively. The interviewed young people believe that the influence of election voting and expressing opinions has declined. The percentage of young people who believe they will have children in the future has reached a new low, dropping from 87.6% in 2017 to 57.1%.

The HKFYG’s Youth Research Centre pointed out that the transformation of young people’s values is closely related to the overall development of Hong Kong, and the centre was pleased to see that young people’s confidence in future prospects has slightly recovered, and they have regained hope for the future. This is believed to be related to the post-pandemic recovery, the resumption of socio-economic normalcy, and the government’s investment of resources in the relevant areas of youth development.

However, youth’s confidence in biliteracy, trilingualism and creativity needs to be improved, as well as the fact that some young people still hold a negative life outlook, is worrying and not conducive to sustainable social and economic development in the long run. It is urged that all sectors of society work together to seize opportunities, strengthen youth’s ability at positive self-construction, including enhancing competitiveness and wellness development, actively participating in society, and exerting positive energy as young people gradually regain confidence in the future and the overall environment.

Taking into account relevant data and looking ahead to the next five years, the HKFYG will focus on four major areas: “Youth Participation,” “Wellness Development,” “Digital Transformation,” and “Talent Nurturing” when strengthening various aspects of the existing services, allowing young people to participate in social development, explore career opportunities, and contribute to the development of Hong Kong. 

The initiatives include:

1. Establishing the first comprehensive wellness building – Wellness PLUS Complex

Providing young people with integrated health management and support services, the Complex adopts a new model of “wellness management” to address common health concerns among young people, such as obesity, skin problems, and emotional issues. The Complex will also extensively train young people to become Wellness Managers and promote their holistic development. The building, located in Sham Shui Po, is expected to be in full operation in the first half of the year.

2. Organising the “Inter-generational Innovation Community” service

More than 3,000 young volunteers from the HKFYG’s “Neighbourhood First” programme will conduct community surveys and apply design thinking to identify the needs of the elderly population in different districts. The initiative will encourage and implement innovative ideas, harnessing the power of young people to build an inter-generational and inclusive society.

3. Expanding participation in diverse volunteer services

Recognising the need to enhance young people’s social engagement, the HKFYG’s “Youth Volunteer Network” will enhance its “Easy Volunteer” service. This will include online self-learning programmes for volunteer leaders, a volunteer search engine called “Easy Volunteer,” and recognition for voluntary work through the “Easy Volunteer” award ceremony. These initiatives will provide flexible volunteer learning, registration, and reward programmes both online and offline. They will also strive to discover volunteer opportunities in Mainland China and overseas, broadening young people’s horizons and skills.

4. Strengthening the cultivation of young people’s creativity and digital skills

M21 Digital Media Academy will train young people in creative production and digital trends. It will provide internship opportunities, facilities, and practical experiences to equip them with future skills and explore career development. Additionally, through digital literacy education, the HKFYG will support teachers and students in schools, nurturing a new generation of digitally literate young citizens who think critically and rationally.

5. Enhancing support for flexible youth employment

Regarding the transformation of youth employment models, the Federation’s Youth Employment Network will enhance support for young people engaged in flexible employment. It will recruit talents from the cultural, sports, arts, and innovation and technology industries, nurturing expertise and further expanding career development opportunities for young people. This will increase opportunities for upward mobility among young people. Additionally, they will assist employers in providing tailored flexible work arrangements to attract young talent.

Since 1997, the HKFYG has been conducting the “Youth Value Indicators” survey and publishing research findings. The trend analysis, data, and summary discussions derived from 20 surveys will be included in the upcoming publication “Youth Trends in Hong Kong”. This year, an online platform will be launched for the first time, featuring the interactive data charts, catering to the needs of different users and aiming to capture the pulse of youth development. For more details, please visit yrc.hkfyg.org.hk.

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