Young people in the construction sector will go on to earn "thousands" more each year after apprenticeships while university graduates' salaries lag behind, according to industry research.

The average bricklayer or roofer is earning £42,000 a year across the UK while former students typically earn £32,000 annually, showed a study by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Yet industry figures in Kent say more are not taking the apprenticeship route because of a "stigma" surrounding the career path.

The FMB has also called for reform of the apprenticeship levy, after the number of new starts decreased by a more than third in November compared to the year before.

It comes as employers and training providers celebrate National Apprenticeship Week this week.

The FMB research showed the top five earning construction jobs were as site managers (£51,266 a year), plumbers (£48,675), supervisors (£48,407), electricians (£47,265) and civil engineering operatives (£44,253).

By contrast university graduates in the UK earn £42,252 a year as pharmacists, £40,268 as dental practitioners, £38,228 as architects, £37,805 as teachers and £37,748 as chartered and certified accountants.

Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: “Money talks and when it comes to annual salaries, a career in construction trumps many university graduate roles.

"Money talks and when it comes to annual salaries, a career in construction trumps many university graduate roles..." - Brian Berry, FMB

"University students in England will graduate with an average £50,800 of debt, according to The Institute for Fiscal Studies, while apprentices pass the finish line completely debt-free.

"Not only that, apprentices earn while they learn, taking home around £17,000 a year.

"We are therefore calling on all parents, teachers and young people, who too-often favour academic education, to give a career in construction serious consideration."

Opportunities to become an apprentices will be on show during the National Apprenticeship Show at the Kent Event Centre in Detling on March 20 and 21.

Tony Allen, a former manager of 35 training providers in Kent and apprenticeship expert, said: “There is still a stigma around becoming an apprentice.

"Many people still believe that it is always better to go to university.

"However, there is a vast range of apprenticeship opportunities, where you are earning whilst learning new skills.

"Not all university graduates find it easy to get a job with their degrees, and of course many of them have up to £50,000 of debt that they carry with them into their working life.

"Young people are not always informed about the option of an apprenticeship.

"Many schools do not promote apprenticeships to their students, and that is why the National Apprenticeship Shows are so important in giving young people the opportunity to see first-hand what being an apprentice has to offer.

"There is no doubt that as more and more young people understand the great opportunities that an apprenticeship brings, then the number of apprentices will grow, and that will bring real benefits to the UK economy.”