Is it reliable to recruit mold design apprentices without paying wages?

Not reliable. According to the national Labor Contract Law, without the concept of apprentice, the employer and the employee can agree on a probation period, and the salary during the probation period shall not be lower than the minimum wage of employees in the same position of the unit or 80% of the agreed salary after the probation period, and shall not be lower than the local minimum wage standard. Therefore, it is not reliable to recruit apprentices without paying wages for mold design.