Young people in Singapore will soon get more opportunities to intern or volunteer in other South-east Asian countries. The Asean Youth Community (AYC) was launched on Wednesday as a platform to connect young people in the region and link them up to internships or volunteer opportunities in Asean countries.

The initiative was launched at an event at Serangoon Garden Secondary School to mark the 51st anniversary of Asean, which was attended by about 400 youth delegates and diplomats from Asean countries.

The new platform is an initiative of the Character and Leadership Academy (CLA), a charity here which focuses on youth leadership development.

"At the end of the day, we want young people to take ownership of their learning, and use what they learn to really impact society," said CLA founder Delane Lim, 33. He hopes the new platform will encourage youth to care more for their community, especially through regional community service projects.

Participants for the internship and volunteer opportunities will be selected by the AYC, and application will be open to tertiary students. There are plans to roll out the programmes by the end of the year, with at least 12 slots to be available to students here.

Also on the cards are workshops and conferences for youth from Asean, such as a summit in December to recognise outstanding youth leaders from Asean countries.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Family and Social Development and Education Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, a guest at the event, said he was confident that the new initiative will help build up the capacity of young people in Asean.

Some students are looking forward to the new opportunities. Filipino Karl Ong, 22, an exchange student at the National University of Singapore, said: "I see it as a channel for youth to have a better regional perspective, and to be able to understand the dynamics of the region."