In a press interview, Chong said a university degree was not a ticket to employment and could even be a stumbling block.

“This is very sad but a reality,” he was quoted as saying by The Star. Some graduates were reluctant to reveal that they were degree holders for fear of being considered “over qualified” for the job.

The interview comes in the midst of a public outcry about employment and reduced government scholarships.

Chong said the employment market was increasingly competitive in a slowing economy and a mismatch between the degrees held by graduates and the needs of the market.

“The trend is to go for prestige-sounding courses like engineering, law and accountancy besides medicine and pharmacy for instance,” he said. “Most parents and their children are either ignorant of the problems of mismatch later or they just follow the trend.”

He urged parents to lower their expectations for their children. Some people would be more suited for vocational or technical training, but people did not see such courses as a choice but a last resort.

Chong said vocational and technical training comprised 70 percent of students in Germany and 60 percent of students in Taiwan.