Many girls are avoiding jobs in construction due to biased advice, new research claims.

Seventy per cent of girls in secondary education feel careers services discourage them from joining the male-dominated sector.

The survey from the construction industry skills council ConstructionSkills found 42% of the 2,400 girls aged between 11 and 18 quizzed felt they were advised based on their gender, not their skills.

Almost two thirds (62%) of respondents said they were happy to work in a predominantly male trade, but did not get the information and support they needed.

According to the construction skills council, there are 88,000 jobs available in construction.

The skills body claimed careers advice was frequently out of date and inaccurately portrayed.

Recruitment manager for ConstructionSkills Paul Sykes said this hindered girls from entering the sector.

“As an industry, we are taking the step of getting directly to young women to show them the range of amazing jobs on offer,” he said.

The skills council is launching a television advertising campaign to raise awareness of opportunities in construction.