Vocational training center has been established in most prisons in Guangdong province, providing training in vehicle maintenance, electronics assembly and electrical engineering, among other fields.

It is intended to prepare the inmates for a return to society.

"Those prisoners are skilled workers, so they don't need extra training prior to work," said Ye Jun, an employment officer for a Shenzen electronics company. "It's a good thing, saving at least 30,000 to 50,000 yuan in training expenses."

He said prisons are able to provide a great number of skilled workers and many factories are faced with labor shortages, creating an answer to both problems.