IMPACT OF STUDENTS
INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME (SIWES) ON THE STUDENTS AFTER THE COMPLETION
OF THE PROGRAMME
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Growing public demand and legislative
expectations for accountability in the past two decades have made it imperative
that higher education administrators and researchers pay attention to the
potential impact of student work programmes on skill development, which in
turn, impacts directly on national development objectives. Okpor and Hassan
(2012) opined that ‘if Vocational Technical Education is to be meaningful and
successful in Nigeria, then relationships are needed between public and private
sectors to partner effectively with Vocational Technical Education and skill
acquisition programmes.’ Students Industrial Work Experience (SIWES) is a skill
development program designed to prepare students of Nigerian tertiary
institutions for transition from the college environment to work, (Akerejola
2008). Oyedele (1990) also states that work experience is an educational
program in which students participate in work activities while attending
school. This work experience program gives students the opportunity to be part
of an actual work situation outside the classroom.
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 the 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, pure and applied
sciences and applied arts” (ITF, 2004). Therefore, SIWES is generic, cutting
across over 60 programmes in the universities, over 40 programmes in the
polytechnics and about 10 programmes in the colleges of education.
Thus, SIWES is not specific to any one
course of study or discipline.
The impact of Students Industrial Work
Experience (SIWES) has thus, been a cause of concern to education and economic
planners, particularly with respect to graduate
employment and impact on the general societal development. There are also mixed
concerns about how much of it that is actually helpful to student’s academic
performance and job readiness after graduation. While some institutions and programs
permit SIWES for only three months, others go for up to one year. There has
been several research literatures, in the area of student work experience and
its impact on student development of fitness for the challenges of the job
market. A review of literature reveals that, although research questions raised
are quite straightforward, the answers had been controversial. It all depends
on which outcomes are measured (Furr and Elling, 2000).
For every study which
postulates the benefits of students work experience, there is an equally
compelling study purporting the exact opposite (Aper, 1994). However, this
research is focused on examining the impact of Student
Industrial Work-Experience Scheme (SIWES) on students after completion of the
programme.
Ugwuanyi and Ezema (2010)
noted that SIWES plays a significant role in human resource development in
Nigeria. Aderonke (2011) in her study examined SIWES and the dynamics of
sustainable skills acquisition and utilization in Nigeria with a view to
determining the viability or otherwise of government continuing investment in
the scheme. She concluded that SIWES is a good strategy for sustainable skill
development and utilization in Nigeria.
Wodi and Dokubo (2009)
evaluates the extent to which the agencies involved in the operation and
management of SIWES function to achieve the objectives of the programme. Lack
of adequate supervision, non signing of necessary materials like ITF Form 8 and
students’ logbooks at their places of attachment, difficulties of students in
getting placement, unnecessary delay in the payment of students and
supervisors’ allowance among others were areas of weaknesses revealed.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Students’ Industrial Work Experience
Scheme (SIWES) is a human capital formation programme through industrial
attachment for which students are expected to have a practical experience on
the basis of theories and principles acquired in the teaching-learning process.
However, the prevalence of the inability of participants of SIWES to secure
employment after the programme or even perform effectively if given employment
casts doubt on the continuing relevance of SIWES to the contemporary industrial
development drive in Nigeria. Human resource development constitutes the most
critical factor in the development process and the quality must therefore be
inherent in the productive capacity of people. Human societies in the quest for
development have identified and developed institutional as well as structured
training and educational programmes as major avenues for processing human
beings to acquire the necessary skills and technical competence for their roles
in the development of the society.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The
following are the objectives of this study:
1. To
examine the impact of Students’ Industrial
Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) on student after completion of the programme.
2. To
examine the effectiveness of Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme
(SIWES) towards student development.
3. To
examine the relationship between Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme
(SIWES) and employability after graduation.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What
is the impact of Students’ Industrial Work Experience
Scheme (SIWES) on student after completion of the programme?
2. What
is the effectiveness of Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES)
towards student development?
3. What
is the relationship between Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES)
and employability after graduation?
1.5 HYPOTHESIS
HO:
There is no significant relationship between Students’
Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) and employability after graduation.
HA:
There is significant relationship between Students’
Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) and employability after graduation.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The
following are the significance of this study:
1. The
outcome of this study will form a useful guide for university management on how
to restructure the Students’ Industrial Work Experience
Scheme (SIWES) with a bid to realize the objective of the proramme.
2. This research will also serve as a
resource base to other scholars and researchers interested in carrying out
further research in this field subsequently, if applied will go to an extent to
provide new explanation to the topic
1.7 SCOPE/LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This
study on the impact of Students’ Industrial
Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) on student after completion of the programme
will cover how the programme is been organized and implemented.
LIMITATION OF STUDY
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.
REFERENCES
Aderonke
Agnes Oyeniyi (2011), Students Industrial Work Experience and the Dynamics of Sustainable
Skills Acquisition and Utilization among Graduates in Nigeria Research Journal
of Internatıonal Studıes – Issue 19 (June., 2011) pp130-136
Akerejola,
R. 2004. “Information for Student’s Industrial Work Experience Scheme”. Jos:
ITF.
Aper, J. P.
(1994). An investigation of the relationship between student work experience
and student outcomes. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American
Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA (ERIC Document Reproduction
Service No. ED375750).
Furr, S.
and Elling, T. W. (2000). The influence of work on college student development.
NASPA Journal, 37(2), 454-470.
ITF
(2004). Information and Guideline for Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme:
Reviewed 2004. Industrial Training Fund, Jos, Nigeria.
Okpor,
Ikechukwu, Hassan Najimu (2012) Public-Private Partnership for Skill
Acquisition and Vocational Technical Education Development in Nigeria Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences
Vol. 3 (4) January 2012 pp91-94
Oyedele,
J.P. (1990). Co-operative work experience programme for youths in business education.
Business Education
Journals 2 :
30-53.
Ugwuanyi
C. F; Ezema J. U. (2010), Challenges of Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme
(SIWES) in Library and Information Science in the ICT Environment. Library Philosophy
and Practice July 2010. Accessed on 10th September 2011, from: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Library+Philosophy+and+Practice/2010/July/1-p52045
Wodi,
S. W. and Dokubo. A (2009); Appraisal of Students Industrial Work Experience
Scheme (SIWES) in five Tertiary Institutions in Rivers State Nigeria: European
Journal of Social Sciences –Vol. 7 No 3.