THE "APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM"

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Better known as modern slave labor to those that have ever worked there.

Supposedly Adam set up this "apprenticeship program" to help teach people how to blow glass, but what it turned out to be in the long run was a way for Adam to make thousands of dollars without ever having to do any of the work, but all the while ripping people off.

The way the program was set up Adam claimed to be the "Teacher" and they the "Student", but in reality Adam hardly taught any of the "Students" anything about glass blowing, but left that up to people that had already been through the "program", or were already accomplished glass blowers.

In the year I lived at the "Austin Art Farm" I think I witnessed him providing about 20 hours of teaching, and he maybe spent that much person time behind a torch.

BUT, the "apprenticeship program" was mainly him building his drug paraphernalia business, and it was set up so that the "Student" would fail from the get go.

Before they even started the "program" the "Student" was in debt to Adam Yoo and pretty much had to work their way out of a hole that he created for them, and many failed to do this and eventually were turned into slaves creating products that he sold for which they received little or no compensation.

Case in point Marley Fest 2007.

3 "Students" all of which had less than 3 months experience behind a torch were required to make product to be sold at this festival, and these 3 "Students" worked night and day for 2 weeks pumping out glass pipe after glass pipe putting in upwards of 50 hours each.

Meanwhile Adam Yoo was doing absolutely nothing to get ready to attend this festival, and spent not one minute on a torch creating anything, and then he required that the "Students" be present in his booth at the festival to help him sell his products.

2 of the 3 attended to the booth at the festival and one of them even worked on a make shift work bench with a torch to demonstrate how the product was made, and in the end Adam Yoo paid these "Students" $30.00 each for their time and effort.

Adam Yoo made over $3,500 at Marley Fest.

Both of the "Students" eventually (like others before them) lost their places to live for lack of money to pay rent, one of them lost his vehicle because he could not make the payments for the very same reason.

2 of the "Students" (like others before them) were then forced to move to the "Austin Art Farm" where Adam Yoo charged them outrageous amounts of rent, and all the while they went further into debt with him due to the screwed up "apprenticeship program" that they had joined.

In order for any of these people to ever break even or even start to pay off their mounting debt to Adam Yoo they would have had to work 80+ hours a week churning out massive quantities of high dollar pieces, but sadly it could never be done.

Just to be fair only 2 people have ever actually completed this "apprenticeship program", but one of them left with a massive debt to Adam Yoo and is now working for himself, and is better off for that.

The other is still in debt to Adam Yoo and feels obligated to continue working for Adam and his business until such time as his debt is paid off, but like many before him he will soon come to realize that it is a never ending battle.

From what I know he has only 1 other person working for him right now but even he is getting wary of what has been going on, and is now in debt to Adam Yoo and is no longer getting paid for his services.



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