As reported on September 24th by Kuaikeji， recent events concerning the onboarding experience of management trainee graduates for SAIC-GM-Wuling’s 2025 cohort have drawn significant attention.
According to a report from the “Next Generation Automotive Research Institute” program， approximately 800 graduates from prestigious 985 and 211 universities have found themselves in a situation where the recruitment promises made by the company starkly contrast with the actual working conditions. Their anticipated management trainee positions have devolved into roles as “assembly line workers，” involving a grueling 12-hour workday.
In response to these concerns， Wuling’s official statement indicated that the frontline training period for the 2025 management trainee program has been adjusted to six months. This adjustment， the company claims， was communicated to the trainees prior to their onboarding.
However， this explanation from the company diverges from the accounts provided by the trainees themselves. Several management trainees revealed that during campus recruitment presentations， SAIC-GM-Wuling explicitly promoted a “955” work schedule (9 AM to 5 PM， five days a week) for management trainees. Furthermore， the frontline training phase was described as typically lasting “one month， with a maximum of three months.” Theoretically， graduates who joined in mid-July would have completed their frontline training by early October， after the National Day holiday.
Upon their actual entry into the company， all management trainees， regardless of gender， were reportedly assigned to the production lines at the Guangxi Liuzhou factory， undertaking basic tasks such as tightening screws and grinding car bodies.
“We work from 8 AM to 8 PM every day， six to seven days a week. I’ve been on the production line for a month and haven’t heard any news about rotations or transfers.”
One trainee pointed out， “When we were recruited， the promotions stated a 955 work schedule. After joining， the leadership initially said it would be a two-week period of hardship and training， but now we’ve been on the production line for a month without any updates on rotations or transfers. The leadership is dangling the prospect of departmental assignments after six months.”
It is understood that some management trainees have resigned due to the overwhelming workload， choosing to pursue postgraduate entrance examinations instead. Others have reportedly sustained injuries.
“I feel deceived，” one individual stated. “The workload in the workshop is too high. For six months， it’s a 12-hour， two-shift production line. Management trainees can’t easily leave， and many are experiencing confusion.”
Parents have also voiced their dissatisfaction. “If a company wants to train people， that’s understandable， and having them work at the grassroots level is also acceptable. But with such intensity， why not implement a three-shift system? A company that disregards its employees’ well-being is not a humane one. Seeing no hope， I promptly discussed my child’s situation， and they have since resigned and returned home.”
Experts have commented that frontline roles such as tightening screws and grinding car bodies require skilled workers who have undergone specialized training， as these tasks directly impact the quality of automotive products. University graduates， lacking relevant experience， may not be able to achieve the quality and efficiency of skilled workers， and prolonged， intensive labor can also lead to errors.
While it is not unreasonable for companies to temporarily assign interns to workshops for training， this practice should not be prolonged. Doing so not only harms the interests of the students but also negatively impacts the company’s image and product quality.
