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THE ROLE OF THE INDUSTRY AND OTHER AGENCIES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF STUDENTS' INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME (SIWES)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

The Student Industrial Work-Experience Scheme (SIWES) is a planned and supervised training intervention based on stated and specific learning and career objectives, and geared towards developing he occupational competencies of the participants. It is a programme required to be undertaken by all students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria pursuing courses in specialized engineering, technical, business, applied sciences and applied arts” (ITF, 2004a). SIWES is one of the industrial training fund (ITF) programme  which was introduced in 1973 due to the inability of vocational, engineering, science and technology students in Nigerian universities and polytechnics to meet the practical aspects of their training. That is the needs to enable students match their theoretical school knowledge with the practical aspect of their training in industry.

The Scheme exposes students to industry-based skills necessary for a smooth transition from the classroom to the world of work. It affords students of tertiary institutions the opportunity of being familiarized and exposed to the needed experience in handling machinery and equipment which are usually not available in the educational institutions. Before the establishment of the scheme, there was a growing concern among our Industrialists that graduates of our Institutions of Higher learning lacked adequate practical background studies preparatory for employment in Industries. Thus, the employers were of the opinion that the theoretical education going on in higher institutions was not responsive to the needs of the employers of labour.

It is against this background that the rationale for initiating and designing the scheme by the Fund during its formative years – 1973/74 was introduced to acquaint students with the skills of handling employers’ equipment and machinery. Therefore, participation in SIWES has become a necessary pre-condition for the award of Diploma and Degree certificates in specific disciplines in most institutions of higher learning in the country, in accordance with the education policy of government.

According to Mafe (2010), Industrial training commenced in the country due to the reliance of companies or industries on technical proficiencies, for production process and preservation of company resources. In practice, it originated from the then Yaba Technical Institute, now Yaba College of Technology. At that point, students were being sponsored by various government owned institutions and other private firms. The practice permitted students to return to work with their employers during long vacations. Through this, students were having work-related experience which they usually integrated with their learning in classes (Uyah, 2004).

The quality of education and the training available in companies then must have been responsible for the quality of graduates in organizations in those early days. However, it could be observed that the quality of the Nigerian graduates began to diminish offers due to the death of faculties to impart quality education on students in tertiary institutions. As military imperialists began to unleash terror on social critics, most of which were faculty members, they decided to find greener pastures abroad. To fill the vaccum, unqualified faculty members' were recruited into the academics. To worsen the situation, most of the expatriates left Nigeria for their countries of origin; the vacuum created could not be filled satisfactorily with the skills of fresh graduates from the nation's educational systems. Given this, multinational companies in Nigeria such as Flour Mill Nigeria Plc, Bago plc, Nigerite, Nigerian Breweries plc, Unilever Nigeria plc, Texaco Overseas (TO), Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) established training schools. Also, Shell Petroleum Intensive Training programme was established in 1998 for technical skill acquisitions through hands-on experience.

Consequently, there are two basic forms of learning - education and training – both of which are indispensable to the productive world of work and the functioning of society today. In the illustration given above, the first individual had abundant education on how to drive a car; the second individual had received adequate training on how to drive a car;the third individual had the advantage of  being able to combine theoretical knowledge with practical skills to become a better driver. This need to combine theoretical knowledge with practical skills in order to produce results in the form of goods and services or to be productive is the essence and rationale for industrial training. Both education and training are important: there cannot be effective education without some training input and there cannot be effective training without some educational input. The productive individual, particularly in this millennium,must be able to combine and utilize the outcomes from the two forms of learning(Know-How Ability and Do-HowCapability) for the production of goods and services. This requirement is particularly crucial for individuals pursuing careers in vocational,engineering, science and technology(VEST) disciplines.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

The problem of ill-equipped and lack of workshop/laboratory has led higher institutions to keep spending enormous time on theory, with little or no emphasis on practical. This therefore creates gaps between classroom exposure and what is obtainable in the industrial sector. To bridge these gaps, ITF is charged with the responsibility of SIWES to expose students to industry based skills necessary for a smooth transition from the classroom to the world of work. However, it appears that Industries and other agencies saddled with the duty of managing students' industrial work experience scheme do not adequately foresee the participation and hiring of students to ensure that the scheme objective is achieved. This calls for investigation on the role of industries and other agencies in the management of students industrial work experience scheme.

1.3       Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this study is to examine the role of the industry and other agencies in the management of students' industrial work experience scheme (SIWES). Specifically, the study intends to:

1. identify the role industries and other agencies play in the management of students' industrial work experience scheme (SIWES).

2. determine the functions of  various regulatory bodies in students industrial work experience scheme.

3. examine the influence of SIWES duration on academic performance of students.

4. Find out if SIWES exposure influences students' academic performance.

1.4       Research Questions

(1) What are the roles industries and other agencies play in the management of students' industrial work experience scheme (SIWES)?

(2) What are the functions of SIWES duration on academic performance of students.

(3) To what extent do SIWES duration influenced academic performance of students?

(4) How has SIWES exposure influenced students' academic performance?

1.5       Research Hypotheses

There is significant relationship between industries and other agencies in the management of students' industrial work experience scheme (SIWES).

1.6       Significance of the Study

The study of this research work will be of great importance to the business education students, educators, school management, researchers, educational policy and the society. The result of these research findings will assist to improve the academic performance of business education students and to expose students to job opportunity during their SIWES.The result from this study will be of great benefit to curriculum planner on how best to expose students to SIWES in order to enhance the performance of the Students in vocational training.

1.7       Scope of the Study

The scope of this study covers the role of the industry and other agencies in the management of Students' Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES).

1.8       Limitations of study

The study was  limited to University of Nigeria, Nsukka as well as industries and agencies within the state because it is an academic endeavor and time bounded.

1.9       Definition of Terms

SIWES: Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme is the industrial training students are exposed to, which prepare them for future job challenges.

ROLE: This implies the function assumed or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation.

INDUSTRY: This is an Economic activity concerned with the processing of raw materials and manufacture of goods in factories.

AGENCY: this means a business or organization providing a particular service on behalf of another business person or group.

MANAGEMENT: This is the process of dealing with or controlling things or people.

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