Discussion keeps the world turning.
This is Roundtable.
Are they trainees, workers, or something in between?
From busy milk tea shops to high-tech manufacturing,
the line behind genuine training and cheap labor is sometimes blurred.
Join us as we expose the realities behind today's apprenticeships and ask,
how can we protect the vital talent driving skilled labor in an economy hungry for a skill upgrade?
Coming to you live from Beijing, this is Roundtable.
I'm He Yang.
program.
I'm joined by Steve Hatherley and Li Yi in the studio.
First on today's show,
from the stages of Peking opera and crosstalk or Xiangsheng in Chinese to the delicate hands of embroidery and wood carving masters,
traditional Chinese apprenticeships or Xue Tu Zhi were built on hierarchy,
discipline, and at times exploitation.
Fast forward to today, apprenticeships have found new life in the hospitality industry.
and manufacturing industries, from restaurants to hair salons to welding,
smart manufacturing, and electric vehicle repair.
But here's the catch.
Some employers are using the apprentice title to dodge labor contracts.