IMPACT OF SIWES ON CAREER READINESS FOR UNDER-GRADUATE STUDENT OF BAMIDELE OLUMILUA UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IKERE EKITI

Description

This study sought to ascertain the influence of students’ industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) on enhancing career readiness skills of undergraduate students of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education Science and Technology Ikere Ekiti. Four research questions were used to guide the study. The study adopted the survey design. A Purposive sampling technique was used to select 150 final year students of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education Science and Technology Ikere Ekiti. Questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. Data collected was analysed using weighted mean and standard deviation. Findings revealed that majority of business education students understudied benefit from SIWES to a high extent. The employable skills enhanced through SIWES includes; typing skills, time management skills, innovation skills, leadership skills, team work skills among others. Noticeable challenges facing SIWES include finance, students’ placements as a result of non-acceptance of students by some employers into their establishments, inadequate supervision of trainees as well as irregularity in academic calendar of institutions among others. It was recommended that there should be serious monitoring of both supervisors and students, Organizations should always accept students for SIWES and students should be placed in their areas of discipline within the industry for training.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER ONE

• INTRODUCTION
• Background of the project
• Problem statement
• Aim and objectives of the project
• Research Question
• Scope/limitation of the project
• Significance of the project

CHAPTER TWO

2.0      LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1      CONCEPTUAL REVIEW OF THE STUDY

2.1.1 Student industrial work experience scheme (SIWES)

2.1.2  Challenges of SIWES on the Employable Skills/ Occupational competences of business education students

2.1.3 Strategies For Enhancing Students Industrial Work

Experience Scheme (SIWES).

2.1.4  Students industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) in Nigeria.

2.1.5  Objectives of SIWES and roles of stake holders

2.1.6 SIWES and cooperative education

2.1.7              Previous appraisals of the scheme

2.1.8 ITF biennial SIWES national conference

2.1.9              8^TH Biennial SIWES national conference

2.1.10         Concept of readiness

2.1.11 Concept of world of work

2.2   Empirical Review

2.3   Theoretical framework

 

CHAPTER THREE

3.0       METHODOLOGY

3.1      Introduction

3.2      Research Design

3.3      Population

3.4      Sampling and sampling techniques

3.5      Method for data collection

3.6      Reliability of the instrument

3.7      Method data analysis

 

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0     Data Presentation, Analysis and Discussion

CHAPTER FIVE

5.1      Conclusion and recommendations

REFERENCES

 

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                                         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 2018). Oyedele (2020) 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, 2024). 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, 2020).

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 (2019) 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 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study is to examine the impact of Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) on career readiness for under-graduate student of Bamidele Olumilua University Of Education Science And Technology Ikere Ekiti.

The following are the objectives of this study:

1. Determine the benefits of Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) to students of Bamidele Olumilua University Of Education Science And Technology Ikere Ekiti.
2. Ascertain the employable skills enhanced through Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES).
3. Identify the problems limiting the achievement of Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) objectives as it applies to students of Bamidele Olumilua University Of Education Science And Technology Ikere Ekiti.
4. Determine the strategies for enhancing SIWES efficiency and

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following question guided the research.

1. What are the benefits of SIWES to students of Bamidele Olumilua University Of Education Science And Technology Ikere Ekiti?
2. What are the employable skills enhanced through SIWES?
3. What are the problems limiting the achievement of SIWES objectives as it applies to students of Bamidele Olumilua University Of Education Science And Technology Ikere Ekiti?
4. What are the strategies for enhancing SIWES efficiency and effectiveness?

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 students’ career readiness after completion of the programme will cover how the programme is been organized and implemented.

9 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.

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0                                  CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1      Conclusion

SIWES has exposed business education students to new work methods and experience needed in handling equipment and facilities which are not available in the school but needed to perform certain jobs. Students with the help of SIWES were able to bridge the gap between knowledge acquired in the school and the relevant practical skills required in work places. However students are faced with lots of challenges during their trainings which include; Financial constraints on the part of the students, Inadequate SIWES supervision and monitoring, stipulated period for SIWES is inadequate for the students to acquire the expected skills and competencies and inability to secure relevant and related places of training. Hence for students to be professionally and competently trained in their course of studies, the initiators of the scheme need to develop a better approach that will face out the challenges faced by the students during the course of their studies.

5.2      Recommendations

From the findings of the study, the following recommendations were made:

1. The period of student industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) should be increased.
2. There should be serious monitoring of both supervisors and
3. There should be better placement strategies. Organizations should always accept students for SIWES and students should be placed in their areas of discipline within the industry for training.
4. The allowance given to students should be increased and paid during the period of students industrial work experience scheme (SIWES).

Issuing of Log Books/IT Letters in time. The log books used by the student during the industrial training period and the IT letters should be issued to the students in time.