The grim reality of gadgets

[Bloomberg] [Fully Charged]( From [Bloomberg](   [FOLLOW US [Facebook Share]]( [Twitter Share]( [SUBSCRIBE [Subscribe]](  Hi there, it’s Colum in Hong Kong. The soothing, helpful tones of Amazon’s Alexa belie a grimmer reality: Schoolchildren in China are being forced to work overtime and night shifts to build the company's hottest gadget, a labor rights group [alleged]( last week. It’s not the first time we’re hearing of underage labor abuses in China, where most of the world's electronics are made. Nor will it be the last. Thanks to a fully-sanctioned practice in China’s education system, there’s a vast network of vocational schools that funnel students seeking work experience onto factory floors. Last year, close to 27 [million students](attended almost 12,000 such institutions. Many joined the millions in giant factories across the nation who painstakingly piece together gizmos like Apple iPhones -- the backbones, literally, of a Chinese manufacturing juggernaut. Advocacy groups have shone a spotlight on that largely migrant population for years. But students are particularly vulnerable and -- rights organizations argue -- the system itself enables some of the worst abuses. Meant to provide students with practical training for occupations or trades, vocational institutes already harbor a reputation for low-quality curricula and poor instructors. Students usually come from impoverished backgrounds. Many lack mobility, since China’s hukou household registration makes it difficult for them to seek out opportunities in more prosperous areas of the country. Compounding the problem, the skills their schools offer are not often the ones [most needed](. It's these conditions that open the door to exploitation. In Amazon's case, its supplier Foxconn was accused of forcing teenagers to work under the glaring lights of sweltering factory floors to meet peak-season demand. Confronted with a 33% drop-off in business in the first nine months of the year (thanks to U.S.-Chinese trade tensions), plant managers turned to interns for cheap labor, China Labor Watch said. Some students told CLW they were physically and verbally abused. Those who objected were told their graduation prospects could be affected. Amazon said it was investigating the allegations, while Foxconn later said it fired two executives at the Chinese plant and punished those in charge of its intern program. Those are encouraging signs, especially since Beijing seems to realize the system's shortcomings. This year, officials announced a plan to invest 100 billion yuan ($14 billion) to overhaul the schools, targeting a shift from quantity to quality, especially in terms of instructors’ qualifications. Government money is helpful, but the real catalyst could spring from greater integration between schools and industry. Instead of relying on subcontractors, occasionally answering to watchdogs, companies like Apple and Amazon could take a proactive approach. Working with educators and authorities, they could create internships that better train young people to handle workplace demands in countries where they make their wares. By equipping students with on-the -job skills, rather than viewing them as cheap labor, tech companies might just have a chance at making a real difference.  And here’s what you need to know in global technology news Facebook has people [listening in](. The social media giant paid hundreds of contractors to transcribe clips of audio from users of its services, according to people with knowledge of the work.  The [exodus]( from China is picking up pace. HP-laptop maker Inventec plans to shift all production of notebooks for the U.S. market out of China within months, expanding an industry shift as the world’s two largest economies escalate their trade war.  Trump offers tech companies a [reprieve](, delaying a 10% tariff on some Chinese-made products. Apple’s iPhone was one of the beneficiaries, but other tech gadgets weren’t so lucky.    You received this message because you are subscribed to the Bloomberg Technology newsletter Fully Charged. You can tell your friends to [sign up here](.  [Unsubscribe]( | [Bloomberg.com]( | [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022