Vocational training

To help train more skilled workers in the latiao industry, the Pingjiang Vocational School has cooperated with Malawangzi since 2020.

The three-year program teaches students how to make latiao, and educates them about food quality and safety as well as marketing strategies. It is the first latiao "major" offered in the country, the school said.

More than 230 students have taken the course in the past four years.

Xiang Weiwei, principal of the vocational school, said it is the school's duty to train skilled workers to participate in the development of local economy.

Offering specialized training will also help ensure the rapid development of the latiao industry, he said.

In 2023, the first 50 graduates were employed by Malawangzi and other companies in the county, he said.

Graduate Zhang Qi secured a job as a technician with Malawangzi.

He believes his career prospects in the industry are good, and happily admits to being a fan of the snack since childhood.

"I used to secretly eat the snack when I was little because my parents did not allow it," he said. "Now I have learned how to make it, and my appreciation of the snack has deepened."

Zhang said many of his friends envy him because he can now eat as many of the spicy strips as he likes. He is pleased the snack is getting healthier and better quality, which he said gives him a sense of achievement.

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