A poll of 2,107 UK adults, by Savanta, found that almost a third (31%) said avoiding student debt would make them more likely to encourage a person into a construction career.

According to the House of Commons library, in March 2026 there was £295bn in outstanding student loans with this forecast to double by the late 2040s.

Those who finished their course in 2023 will have an average debt of £47,900.

Brian Berry, CEO at the FMB, has argued that more should be done to inform young people of their options.

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“While we want to encourage students of all routes into the industry, the reality is that a generation has been encouraged to go to university with the result that graduates are saddled with debt,” said Brian.

“Nobody is telling them there is another way — one where you could earn from day one.

“We want more young people to learn a trade as these are the people who can end up running their own business."

With this in mind, the FMB is urging the government to introduce more support for SME building companies to recruit and train apprentices.