As the global economy and labour market evolves, the relevance of tertiary education is called into question, with many discovering that perceptions around attaining a university degree need to be tweaked. In China, an oversupply of graduates contributes to an endless loop of degree depreciation and lower rates of vocational education, as university graduates get prioritised for jobs and out-compete vocational degree holders.

In Singapore, efforts to promote vocational, and technical and professional education and training is paying off as students feel confident and inspired to choose educational pathways that match their career aspirations – without the pressure of pursuing the traditional university route.

Conversely in Australia, administrators have been concerned over the widening gap between rural and urban degree-holders, estimating that 90 per cent of jobs in the next five years will require tertiary level education qualifications. The recent job shortage had led to many seeking direct employment over tertiary education, which may hurt their career choices in the long run.

In many cases, governments need to be pro-active in advocating for vocational education to ensure a balanced labour force and encourage a diversity of education pathways for all students to thrive in an evolving economy. There is still a need to make tertiary education pathways equally accessible to all students, to ensure freedom of choice without economic burden.