I’ve heard about this system but I forgot which tribe it was common in, but the name will make it easier to remember now!
I like this system but 5-7 years without pay seems like too much today especially in the fast changing world we live in today. The expectation that the shop will help the boy settle and grow sounds like the most essential part since he is giving his labor away.
In Japan staff are treated like this but n they are not treated as closely as they were a few generations ago, there is less loyalty on both sides and there is still pay involved. I think it doesn’t make as much sense because there is a high probability you are working for years to takeover a business that can’t survive another 10 years.
I would have loved to have been an apprentice to a musician growing up though! I hated studying in school but I love real world experience.