Assessment of SIWES Relevance to Business Education Programme Objectives

1.1 Introduction

Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is defined as a skill training programme that is designed to expose and prepare students of education, agriculture, engineering & technology, environmental sciences, natural science, medical science and pure applied science for the industrial work situation. SIWES programme, provides students the opportunity to work in one or more areas of industry and this enables them to relate their theoretical knowledge to the practical work situation, which is a realistic way of determining the relevance of theory to practice.

This chapter will address the background information that motivated this study, the challenges that prompted it, its aim, and its objectives as a preface to subsequent sections of the study. Additional factors include the study's significance, scope, limitations, research questions and hypotheses, and the definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background to the Study

Over the year, students studying agriculture, engineering, technology, environmental science, medical science, education, including technical vocational education (TVE), pure and applied sciences, are exposed to and prepared for industrial work environments that they will likely encounter after graduation through the SIWES skill training programme. Participation in the courses is mandatory for all students enrolled in the above specified fields. When calculating the Gross Point Average and Cumulative Point Average, SIWES is given credit units. The duration of SIWES for relevant categories of students is four months in polytechnic at the end of NDI, four months in colleges of education at the end of NCE II and six months in the universities at the end of 300 or 400 or 500 levels depending on the discipline. SIWES as a training requirement needs to be assessed from time to time in order to determine whether it is meeting its stated objectives. The objectives of Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme among others includes to:

1. Provide students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge in real work situation thereby bridging the gap between theory and practices.
2. Enlist and strength employment in industrial commerce information and guideline for (SIWES 2002).
3. Provide an avenue for students in institution of higher learning to acquire industrial skill and experience in their approve course of study.
4. Prepare students for the industrial work situation which they are likely to meet after graduating.
5. Expose students to work methods and techniques in handling equipment and machinery not available in the institution (Source:Information and Guidelines for SIWES, 2002).

from the above objectives, it suffices to say that there are ample opportunities for students who undergo the Students Industrial Work Experience (SIWES). Turners (2007) opined that the more the career option, the broader the choices, or the fewer the categories of careers, the more the homogenous of the sort of career existing. In this gigantic and pervasive profession, career prospect in any profession can be examined in two ways. These are vertical and horizontal.

In the vertical approach, various levels of academic qualifications of job seekers are considered, while the horizontal approach considered the experience acquired by professionals in the study or industry. Students may undergo SIWES in the following areas:Business Studies, Home Economics, Basic Technology and Agriculture, Local craft, computer education, fine art and music (Ezeji and Oviawe, 2009).

Infact, in recent past, the political instability led to dwindling interest of students in SIWES in institution due to poor infrastructure, lack of educational facilities and learning facilities like work shop laboratories. SIWES requires students to work with equipments in the work shop and typewriters in typing pools culture and utensils in the school demonstration farms. Turner (2007) opined that this poor state of infrastructures in universities does not only affect learning but also crippled students' interest in sticking to the career decisions. The resultant effect of these problems have seen students leaving their bases for technical education courses in higher institutions, which as resulted in great economic loss. In Nigeria, the situations not changed, as it is becoming highly imperative to find out if most undergraduates will be interested in SIWES based on their predisposition to the programme, which is what this study wants to examine.

The government decree No 47 of 8th October 1971 as amended in 1990 highlighted the capacity building of human resources in industry, commerce and government through training and retaining of workers in order to effectively provide the needed high quality good and services in a dynamic economic as ours (Jemerigbo, 2003) this decree led to establishment of industrial training fund (ITF) in 1973/1974 The growing concern among our industrialist that graduate of our institution of higher learning-lack of adequate practical studies preparatory for employment in industries led to the formation of Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme.

Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme by ITF was introduced in 1993/1994 (Information and Guideline for SIWES, 2002). ITF has one of the key functions to work as a co-operative entity with industry and commerce were institutions of higher learning can undertake mid-careers work experience attachment in industries which are compatible with students of study (Okorie 2002 in Asikadi, 2003).

Students' education is regarded as a process of developing skills, teaching personnel so that they can impact goods and quality knowledge. In Nigeria it is stated in clear terms by FRN (2004) in her national policy on education implementation committee blue print. It stipulates that SIWES is mandatory for students in technical colleges, polytechnics, college of education and universities; and government has taken a bold step in ensuring full compliance of policy statement. The technical and vocational education is very vital in the educational system.

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to assess of SIWES Relevance to Business Education Programme Objectives.

1.3 Statement of the Problems

Investigation revealed that the key objective of SIWES is to relate theory to practice, thus before a student graduates, he or she should be able to marry theory and practice. Business education is a programme in which a graduate is required to demonstrate through practical and mental skills his or her ability with little employers’ preparation. Thus, his or her training should approximate situations in the world of work especially with the compulsory industrial training requirement of the programme. It is however observed that some business education products perform dismally at employment interviews and are unable to apply themselves to simple office skills, procedures and practices.

In a cross sectional study conducted in some selected industries, universities and research institutes in 1985, Ukaegbu found that graduates apply their intellectual skills and knowledge well enough in industries, he added that students on the other hand are faced with the challenge of handling some electronic gadgets and facilities during their Industrial Training period which the school environment may not have sufficiently exposed them to at the time of undertaking the industrial training. It is on this basis therefore, that this study seeks to assess the SIWES relevance to business education programme objectives.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The main aim of the study is to assess the relevance of SIWES to business education programme objectives. Specifically, the objectives of the study seeks to determine:

1. The level of awareness of business education students on the relevance of SIWES to their programme;
2. Whether students experience the needed practical experience during their SIWES programme;
3. Whether the students are adequately supervised during their SIWES programme;
4. Whether the industries allow the students access into their mainstream.; and
5. Whether business education students vplaced in work places relevance to their programme during SIWES.

1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• What is the perception of business education students on the relevance of SIWES to their programme?
• Are business education students placed in work places relevant to their programme during SIWES?
• Are business education students exposed to the practical aspects of their programme during SIWES?
• Are business education students in SIWES adequately supervised?
• Do the industries where the business education students do their SIWES accept them into their mainstream?

1.6 Significance of the Study

The result of this research will be beneficial to a number of groups and individuals. The study finding will provide vocational students, employers of labour, administrator, policy maker and researchers with relevant baseline data. The study finding will provide vocational students an avenue to appreciate the integration of theoretical and practical component that will prepare these students for the “real world” and provide them basic job skill to function in the labour market.

Also, the finding may bring a useful contribution to employer of labour who are faced with the task of relating educational target will gainful employment objectives and the need of the national economic as well as help in determine whether skill acquire by graduate will contributing to the organization.

In addition, the finding will create awareness to administrator on how to improve the quality of programmes and built on current facilities and services offer to students such as laboratory, library resources, computer/IT availability and other facilities.

Moreover, the finding will provide encouragement for government to give adequate support to the Business education programme in tertiary institution in term of finance and monitoring for effective realization of Business education programme objectives.

Finally, future researchers on similar and other related fields will find it handy as a reference material to assist them in their research endeavours.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The scope of this research is focused on the Assessment of Siwes Relevance to Business Education Programme Objectives using College of Education, Warri, Delta State as a case study.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:

1. Time Constraint:

   The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.

2. 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).

3. Initial Cooperation Delay from Respondents:

   A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.