People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin said,
"Stormont's failure to deliver meaningful progress has now been compounded by the decision to slash funding for apprenticeships.
The Stormont Executive has failed to agree a budget but the buck stops with the Sinn Féin Economy Minister.
Imposing austerity and pulling the ladder out from under workers is always a political choice.
The people who will pay for this are care workers trying to gain a recognised qualification, construction workers building the homes we desperately need and international workers our care sector has recruited because of chronic staff shortages.
Obliterating their training pathway will worsen retention, deepen the recruitment crisis and undermine the quality of care families depend on.
As a result of these cuts, training providers and their workers face uncertainty.
This is short-term cost-cutting that will cost society far more in the long run.
Sectors facing workforce shortages, particularly health and social care, should be protected.
People Before Profit call on the Economy Minister to reverse these punitive cuts."