Unite has blasted the move by the official receiver as the industry is crying out for young talent.

Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said: “This is an appalling way to treat these apprentices who should have become the backbone of the industry.

“To dump them and to destroy their training is an act of crass stupidity.

“These actions highlight the government’s total failure to assist the workers who have been most affected by Carillion’s collapse through no fault of their own.

“The government could have used its procurement power to find placements for these apprentices but it chose not to, demonstrating that it is not serious about dealing with the skills crisis facing the industry.”

When Carillion collapsed in January it employed 1,200 apprentices.

Following the company demise the Construction Industry Training Board has found suitable placements for over 800 of the affected apprentices and is still working to help more.