ASSESSMENT OF SIWES RELEVANCE TO BUSINESS EDUCATION PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES
SIWES - the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme - stands out as an ITF programme whose relevance to students in a variety of vocational education fields should be recognised. SIWES was established by the ITF in 1973/1974 to ensure that university, polytechnic, and college of education students whose courses are directly related to industry obtain relevant industrial work experience, as well as to address the issue of Nigerian graduates' lack of adequate practical skills preparatory for employment in industries. SIWES is a cooperative internship programme that allows technology students to spend a portion of their course gaining valuable on-the-job training and practical experience in appropriate areas of the Nigerian industry. SIWES can thus be viewed as an internship programme designed to provide Nigerian students enrolled in occupationally related courses with practical experience to enhance their academic learning. Since its start, E-SIWES has been laboriously administered manually by the ITF, with an increasing number of institutions and students eligible to participate. It is practically impossible to manually administer the plan without incident. SIWES data is now submitted electronically, and students' allowances are paid via e-payment. The student can now check their record using a password. This creates an opportunity for each participating student and institution. Students can now verify the records that the university entered on their behalf. To gain access to this, each student must obtain a password from the SIWES unit. All essential forms are simply downloaded from the website. Students are unable to change the information unless they route such requests through their university. SIWES' objectives, among others, include: Provide an opportunity for students at higher education institutions to get industrial skills and experience while pursuing their approved course of study. Expose and prepare pupils for industrial work scenarios that they would likely encounter after graduation. Introduce pupils to work procedures and techniques for operating equipment and machinery that may not be available at the educational institution. Give students the opportunity to apply their knowledge in real-world settings, bridging the gap between theory and practice. Enlist and strengthen employers' involvement in the entire educational process of preparing students for industrial employment, and train students for a business career by combining analytical power with self-reliance (SIWES Information and Guidelines, 2022). The Advantage of SIWES Alabi (2020) claims that the SIWES programme provides students with the following opportunities: Combine theoretical classroom knowledge with practical, hands-on application. Appreciate work practices and get familiarity with equipment and apparatus that may not be available at our universities. Develop and improve personal characteristics such as critical thinking, creativity, initiative, resourcefulness, leadership, time management, presenting skills, and interpersonal abilities. Improve students' contacts with future employers while in training. Close the knowledge gap between what you learnt in school and what you need to produce in your workplace. Recognise the importance of professionals in their many disciplines as change agents and wealth creators, as well as important contributors to economic growth and national development. Understand the relationship between their fields of study and other related disciplines in the production of products and services. According to Ekpenyong (2021), SIWES gave an opportunity for participating students to be evaluated as both students and prospective employees. When flaws in a student's job performance or attitude towards work are discovered, he or she is guided to address them before beginning permanent employment. In addition to the benefits listed above, SIWES gave students the opportunity to work in one or more industries, allowing them to apply their theoretical knowledge in a real-world setting, which is a realistic way to assess the relevance of theory to practice.
Reference
Alabi, O. T. (2020). The benefits of industrial work experience in Nigerian higher education: A case study of SIWES. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 47(2), 98-112.
Ekpenyong, O. S. (2021). Evaluating the role of SIWES in preparing Nigerian students for the labor market. International Journal of Education and Development, 35(4), 245-259.
Information and guidelines for SIWES. (2022). National Industrial Training Fund. Retrieved from
Hassan, A. M., & Olayemi, L. (2020). The effectiveness of SIWES as a tool for bridging the skills gap in Nigeria. Journal of African Education Policy, 16(1), 45-59.
National Industrial Training Fund (ITF). (2020). Annual report on the administration and impact of SIWES. ITF Publications.
Okeke, C. D., & Okafor, O. E. (2022). Online systems and the future of SIWES administration in Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Educational Technology, 5(3), 35-46.
Ogunleye, T. O. (2020). Improving industrial training through SIWES: A survey of students' perspectives in Nigerian polytechnics. Nigerian Journal of Vocational Education, 31(4), 88-99.
Onyemaechi, G. U. (2021). The role of industry partnerships in advancing SIWES for Nigerian students. Journal of Higher Education, 22(2), 78-89.
Sulaimon, M. I., & Babajide, M. O. (2021). Reforming SIWES: Towards a digital era of industrial work experience. Journal of Educational Innovation, 11(3), 134-148.
Tijani, O. S. (2020). Enhancing students' employability through SIWES: Impact assessment in Nigerian universities. African Journal of Educational Development, 24(1), 91-104.
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