A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF STUDENTS INDUSTRIAL WORKING EXPERIENCE SCHEME (SIWES) AND ITS BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES
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- 1-5 Chapters
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- Reference Style: APA
- Recommended for : Student Researchers
- NGN 5000
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Students' industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) is a hands-on program designed and supported by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in partnership with colleges, polytechnics, and universities to bridge the gap between school and industry. Engineering, Technology, Environmental Sciences, Medical Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, and Education (Business Education, Technical Education, Agricultural Education, Home Economics Education, Fine and Applied Arts, Music Education, and Library Studies) students are eligible to participate in the practicum program. According to the ITF Publication in 2011, the program is a collaborative effort that includes higher education institutions, accreditation organizations such as the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), industry and commerce, and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF, 2011). The need for this type of link originated from the need to develop well-trained and talented professionals to meet our developing country's technical and entrepreneurial demands (Sa'ad 2010). Every academic training program that is practical in scheme should have an industrial work experience component. According to Ogbonnaya (2003), the goal is to integrate academic knowledge learned in the classroom with real-world experience. This enables any country to have a strong technical basis. This notion was highlighted by Adeyemi (1997), who argued that huge and successful nations attained grandeur through a solid scientific and technical base. Indeed, no nation can claim to have a strong scientific and technology foundation unless theoretical knowledge is applied appropriately. In response to the importance of industrial training in Nigeria, Decree 47 of 1971 was adopted. The Industrial Training Fund was established by Decree (ITF, 2011). ITF was Nigeria's first federal government parastatal, with the purpose of developing highly skilled professionals for the country. As it implemented policy guidelines via its industrial operations, the Fund discovered a major scarcity of practical skills among indigenously certified students and technicians. In practical courses, there is a huge mismatch between theory and practice. As a result, in 1973, the Industrial Training Fund developed the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES). SIWES was founded to help bridge the theoretical and practical gaps. It was established to assist higher education in producing graduates who are theoretically sound, technologically balanced, and practice-oriented (Aroh, 2000). Many nations have employed industrial training to strengthen their technological basis. In the United States, the program is called by many names, including "internship, cooperative educational experience, work study, and so on," according to Mason, Haines, and Furthado (1981). The significance of this type of instruction cannot be emphasized. According to Anthony (1981), the efficacy of any program is measured by the positive responses of students and the views of employers, who, in most cases, hire them afterwards. Likewise, in the United Kingdom. The Manpower Service Commission (MSC) launched the Youth Opportunities Programme (YOP) in 1983 with increased scope to cater for more categories of youths (Comfort, Taylor, and Varelids, 1983, as quoted by Okonkwo), which organizes industrial training programs outside of the usual internship for professionals (1996). The British government initiated the program because they believe that allowing individuals to experiment and create their own discoveries will enhance their credentials.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
SIWES is a government project aiming at bridging the skills gap among Nigerian postsecondary graduates. Tertiary institutions have been collaborating with the ITF since the outset to ensure that the SIWES objectives are realized. The significance of SIWES in preparing students for post-graduate careers cannot be emphasized. Prior to the initiative's debut, Nigerian business leaders were concerned that graduates of higher education institutions lacked the necessary practical experience for employment. As a result, employers considered that theoretical knowledge in higher education did not meet or satisfy market expectations. In this context, the ITF established SIWES in its early years to provide students with hands-on experience with industrial equipment and machinery, allowing them to achieve the requisite practical knowledge and abilities (ITF, 2011). These programs are intended to expose students to professional work methods so that SIWES may serve as a catalyst for industry development and productivity. Students can gain vocational skills by participating in a real-world work setting outside of the classroom through the Student Industrial Work Experience program. It also exposes and prepares students at higher education institutions for the industrial employment contexts that they would face after graduation. According to Ojokuku, Emeahara, Aboyade, and Chris-Israel (2015), the strategy also helps students become acquainted with work practices and exposes them to the necessary experience to operate equipment and apparatus that are not available in their schools. According to the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), the Student's Industrial Work Experience Scheme strives to bridge the gap between theory and practice by exposing students to the necessary skills for a smooth transition from the classroom to the workplace. It provides students with the opportunity to gain technical skills and experience that will help them grow professionally in their studies. According to Aderonke (as quoted in Ukwueze 2011), SIWES plays a key role in human resource development in Nigeria, and it should be supported and perpetuated. ITF, Ugwuanyi, and Ezema (2010) agree that SIWES is a solid approach for long-term skill development and use in Nigeria, and it should be supported and perpetuated. SIWES confronts a variety of challenges despite its centrality and significance in human resource development for sustainable development. Inadequate supervision, non-signing of relevant paperwork such as ITF Form 8 and students' Log books at their places of attachment, difficulty in gaining placement, and excessive delays in the payment of students' and supervisors' allowances are just a few of the students raised by Ukwueze (2015). Furthermore, the ITF stated that among the numerous challenges currently impeding the scheme's growth and success are insufficient funding, a reduction in the number of placement opportunities, delays and non-payment of allowances to students and supervisors, denial of use of facilities, and inadequate facilities for SIWES students. Against this context, the purpose of this research is to critically evaluate students industrial working experience scheme (siwes) and its benefits and challenges in Nigerian universities.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The study's overall purpose is to critically evaluate students industrial working experience scheme (siwes) and its benefits and challenges in Nigerian universities.
The study, on the other hand, was focused on achieving these precise goals:
- Evaluate the benefits of SIWES to students of Nigerian Universities.
- Examine the challenges confronting SIWES in Nigerian Universities.
- Assess possible ways of curbing the challenges confronting SIWES in Nigerian Universities.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions were posed in accordance with the study's objectives:
- What are the benefits of SIWES to students of Nigerian Universities?
- What are the challenges confronting SIWES in Nigeria Universities?
- What are the possible ways of curbing the challenges confronting SIWES in Nigerian Universities?
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
The study will test the validity of the following null hypotheses:
H01: SIWES does not benefit students Nigerian Universities.
H02: There are no challenges confronting SIWES in Nigerian Universities.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study will be of immense benefit to educational policy makers to know the importance of SIWES in the academic success and career development of students and work towards making the scheme a more effective one in Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.
This study will also serve as an eye-opener to management board of Rivers State University to identify the various challenges that confronts the success of SIWES in the University and work towards identifying a way of solving them.
This study will further enlighten the students of Rivers State University on the benefits of SIWES in their academics and career development and the need for them to take the scheme serious.
This study will also add to existing literature on this topic and serve as a reference material to scholars, researchers and students who may want to carryout further studies on this topic or related domain in the future.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study will focus on examining the benefits of SIWES to students of Rivers State University. This study will also look into identifying the challenges confronting SIWES in Rivers State University. This study will further identify ways of curbing the challenges confronting SIWES in Rivers State University.
This study is delimited to academic staffs and students of the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
This study was limited by many factors which are:
Financial constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview)
Time constraint: The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.
1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS
SIWES: The students industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) is a skills training programme designed to expose and prepare students of Universities, Polytechnics/Colleges of Technology/Colleges of Agriculture and Colleges of Education for the industrial work situation they are likely to meet after graduation.
Benefits: an advantage or profit gained carrying out SIWES.
Challenges: The factors that affect the successful participation of SIWES.
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