THE FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENTS INDUSTRIAL WORKING EXPERIENCE SCHEME (SIWES) IN NIGERIAN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is a skills training program aimed to show and prepare university and other tertiary students for the Industrial Work environment they are likely to encounter after graduation. It is also a planned and organized program based on specified and particular career objectives aimed at enhancing participants' vocational abilities (Nwachukwu, 1986). As a result, the SIWES program is a graduation requirement for all Nigerian university students enrolled in specific subjects. Students' Industry Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is a human capital creation program based on industrial attachments in which students are intended to get practical experience based on theories and ideas learned throughout the teaching-learning process. SIWES, which stands for Supervised Industrial Work Experience Scheme, is a program meant to expose students from Nigeria's higher education institutions to practical skill training in the industries (ITF, 2002). The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) was one of the earliest parastatals formed by the Nigerian Federal Government for human resource training and development. It was formed during the second National Development of 1970-1974 by Decree No. 47 of the 8th of October 1971, in keeping with the post-independence desire for increased economic growth and development. On its beginning, the ITF observed a significant gap between the practical skills necessary and the theoretical training of students, which was shared by labor employers, suggesting that there was a significant demand for sufficient preparation training for work in industry (ITF, 2002). The human resources of a country can be developed via intentional and result-oriented education and training. Work-based education, which essentially prepares individuals for work, is viewed as an innovative phenomena in the process of human resource development and training in Nigeria, therefore the introduction of SIWES into the official educational system. The Federal Government of Nigeria established the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), which is sponsored by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) (Yusuf, 1998).

SIWES is a skill training program, which forms part of the approved minimum academic standards in the various degree and diploma programs for all tertiary institutions in Nigeria (ITF, 2003). It seeks to bridge the gap existing between theory and practice in science and technology programs in Nigerian tertiary institutions (Industrial Training Division, 1998). It is aimed at exposing students to the work environment, machines and equipment, professional methods and techniques required for a successful working life. Oladeji, (2000) observed that the earliest and most widely accepted objectives of vocational education were to provide a mechanism for meeting the needs of the society for skilled manpower. It should be recognized that the needs of the nation and that of the school and indeed, all institutions of the society require trained people, if they are to survive. According to Oladeji, (2000), SIWES is comparable to skill-based training programs given in both developing and established economies across the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, Malawi, Ethiopia, and Ghana. The goal of establishing SIWES was to bridge the gap between theory and practice prevalent in higher education programs in Nigeria. This assertion was supported by Aston and Green, (1996), who stated that one purpose of industrial training in Ghana was to expose trainees to practical skills in their relevant occupational areas and to familiarize them with the functions of new technologies, machines, and equipment that they had heard of and read about in books but had not had the opportunity to use. However, the predominance of SIWES participants' inability to find work following the program calls into question SIWES's continued relevance to Nigeria's current industrial development push.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

According to Ojeleye, (1994), before the establishment of the Scheme, industrialists and other labor employers were worried that graduates of Nigerian universities lacked practical background studies required for employment in industries and other organizations. As a result, the employers determined that the theoretical education gained at our higher education institutions was not relevant to the demands of labor employers. As a result, the Industrial Training Funds ITF's justification for establishing and developing the plan in 1973. But it is worrisome, that the scheme has not achieved the desired objectives due to a variety of factors, including structural causes of performance problems that have plagued the system, as well as an increasing number of students and institutions that place undue strain on the few surviving industrial organizations and most students on attachment in places of convenience without regard for the relevance of the workplace to their course of study (ITF Industrial Training Fund 2003). Further more, most graduates struggle to get direct employment in reputable industrial organizations and often struggle to succeed in self-employment due to the lack of work experience gained during their school days through the SIWES program. This is antithetical to the program's intended implementation pattern (Yabani,1980). This has had a significant detrimental influence on the quality and competence of students generated by our different institutions of higher learning. With these afore mentioned problems, these study seeks to find out the factors affecting  students industrial working experience scheme (siwes) in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The primary aim of this study is to assess the factors affecting students industrial working experience scheme (siwes) in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions. Other objectives of this study are:

a)        The impacts of SIWES on the students

b)        Identify the factors that affect SIWES in Nigerian Tertiary institutions

c)        To find out the challenges of students during industrial training.

d)       Proffer possible solutions to the identified challenges

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following are the research questions to guide this study.

a)        What are the impacts of SIWES on the students?

b)        What are the factors that affect SIWES in Nigerian Tertiary institutions?

c)        What are the challenges of students during industrial training?

d)       What are the proffer possible solutions to the identified challenges?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of this work will be of great benefit to the students, the government and the academic world. It will also be beneficial to students currently undergoing industrial trainings as they will know the challenges and how effective SIWES is. It will also be of great benefit to the industrial training fund as they will make effective and stringent policies that will make industrial training effective and beneficial to the students, the tertiary institutions and the society.

This study will serve as an existing material for further research and reference.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will be using University of Calabar as a case study. Some selected departments that undergo this training will be enrolled as participants. It will focus on the impact, factors, challenges of SIWES on students and tertiary institutions.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study will be limited to University of Calabar and as such the results cannot be used by other tertiary institutions. Financial limitations was encountered during the course of this research.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Factors: a circumstance, fact or influence that contributes to a result

Industrial training: is referred to as a program that offers good practical training in the specified time frame.

Tertiary institutions: any institution that provides post-school education on a full-time, part-time or distance basis.