Broad Benefits of Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme

Benefits to Students

        The following are the benefits of SIWES to Students:

1.  Learn to assume responsibility.

2.  Gain knowledge and attitudes necessary for successful programme.

3.  Acquire good work habits.

4.  Learn how to get along with fellow workers and employers.

5.  Develop personality and poise.

6.  Earn necessary funds.

7.  Realize the connection between on the job production and wages.

8.  Discover the relationship between education and job success.

9.  Explore the fields on which they feel their career interest lie and determine whether or not these fields are suitable for them.

10.  Broaden their knowledge for the occupational world (Ihimekpen & Abiri, 1999).

Benefits to the School

        SIWES is of benefit to the school in the various ways:

1.  Provides an opportunity to relate academic training to job requirements.

2.  Utilize many community facilities and resources of training purposes.

3.  Increases the school ability to hold students in school for a longer period of time.

4.  Provide assistance in occupational guidance.

5.  Enables the school to keep abreast of development in the business and industrial world.

6.  Provides a direct avenue through which the school can meet community needs.

7.  Develop good community school relations.

8.  Acquaints employers with the work that can be performed by young people who are trained in the school (Ihimekpen & Abiri, 1999).

Benefits to the Employers

        SIWES benefits the employers in the following ways:

1.  Provides a pool of part time workers from which to select permanent employees at a later date.

2.  Provides an opportunity for the employer to refine and validate the company’s own training methods.

3.  Provides the employers with employees who are receiving additional training through related instruction at school training desired but not warranted or possible on the job.

4.  Serves as a training programme for prospective employees of small business or industries.

Reduce turnover because the employees have become adjusted to the job before they attempt full time employment (Ihimekpen & Abiri, 1999).

Roles Expected of Students/Lecturers in Achieving the Aims of SIWES

Roles of Students

        The following are expected of students during the SIWES programme:

1.  Identify himself as a worker in the occupational structure.

2.  Agree with the industry to work for full period of attachment.

3.  Follow a standard training programme development for his or her course work in the college.

4.  Abide by rules and regulations of the employer.

5.  Learn the basic habit of the industry.

6.  Learn to be practicable and productive as much as possible.

7.  Learn to organize his or her time and energy to get a piece of work done.

8.  Paying attention to the civil responsibility attached to his or her job.

9.  Keep a progress logbook of his day-to-day work experience.

10.  Should submit report of work experience to the Institutional Coordinator after the programme (Ihimekpen & Abiri, 1999).

Roles of Lecturers (Educators)

        Lecturers of the SIWES programme should:

1.  Give orientation to students prior to their going for attachment.

2.  Approve work station or industry for students before going for attachment.

3.  Make supervisory right and look after student welfare during attachment.

4.  Act as a mediator between the industrial training fund, college and industry.

5.  Ensure that students receive their allowances at the appropriate time.

6.  Relate the practical on the job experiences to classroom lectures in form of short seminars.

7.  Make students reports and supplies result of work experiences (Ihimekpen & Abiri, 1999).

Concept of Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme

The aim of technical education is to provide the technical knowledge and vocational skills necessary for agriculture, industrial commerce and economic development (National Policy on Education, 1981).

        One way of making this possible is to expose students to the required practical experiences through the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES). It is a skill development programme which was designed to expose and prepare students of higher institution for the industrial working situations (Akinseinde, 1993).

The aim of the scheme is to provide avenue for students to have industrial exposure in their own discipline during the course of their studies, also to enlist and strengthen employment in industries (Izekor, 1997). Students are exposed to work environment, methods and other needed experiences in handling equipment, machinery, tools, and facilities etc. that are not readily available in the classroom.

        Many authorities e.g. Akinseinde (1993) stressed that through the programme a meaningful work experience is combined with formal education enabling students to acquire knowledge, skills and appropriate attitudes, the programme also removes the artificial barriers which separate work and education, more so, involving educators with employers  and creates interaction whereby the needs and problems or both are made known. Such interaction makes it possible for occupational curricular to be revised to reflect current needs in various occupations.

THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDENTS INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME

Background of the Study

        Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is a skill development programme that provides a link opportunity for students to participate in the real world of work, benefit from practical exposure at work as well as acquiring academic competencies in the college (Okoro, 1999). Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme is aimed at exposing students to the realities of world of work by matching the theoretical classroom knowledge with current practices in the work environment.

        Ahmed (1990) stated that SIWES is perceived as a skill development programme by educators to complement, supplement, enrich and strengthen the instructional process of our educational institutions. As such, students gain knowledge and skills for the attainment of career objectives this is because the scheme is contributed to the practical exposure of student career objectives.

        Historically, Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) was introduced into the curriculum of vocational education. The contribution of the scheme for the realization of the objectives of vocational education cannot be over-emphasized. It is of course attitudes, perception and habit which are vital components of every vocational education programme.

        Coombs (1990) stated that students undergoing the work experience programme are expected to conduct themselves properly; they are expected to establish a daily routine and be punctual regularly to their workplace. They should have a positive sense of responsibility towards work.

        The purpose of this research study is to examine educators and students’ perception of Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) a case study of Delta State University, Abraka.