THE RELEVANCE OF SIWES PROGRAM IN ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC NASARAWA

THE RELEVANCE OF SIWES PROGRAM IN ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC NASARAWA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      Background Information

 McDoglaz (2015) explained the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) as an accepted skill training scheme which forms part of the approved minimum academic standards in various degree scheme for all Nigerian universities and polytechnics to acquire industrial skill and experience in their various course of study.

SIWES is a planned occupational experience program involving practical activities conducted outside the regular classroom in a real industrial set up. It is a skills development program designed to expose and prepare students for real working situation they are likely to encounter in their selected fields (Ikwevakan, 1993).

The SIWES program was established in 1973, the scheme is a scheme involving students, the universities, the polytechnics, and the industries (employers). It is funded by the federal government of Nigeria and jointly coordinated by the Industrial Trust Fund (ITF) and the National University Commission (NUC, 2005).

This training is also an effort to bridge the gap existing between theory and practice of Engineering, Science, Agriculture, Medicals, Management, and other professional education program in the Nigerian tertiary institutions. This program is currently compulsory for all students offering vocational and technical courses. The reason is not far from the federal government of Nigeria realizing its role in raising the proportion of the nation’s economically active population to a greater ratio with effective labour force. The opportunity that the SIWES program provides for the students in industry and commerce prepares them to be fully involved in national economic development. Specifically, the program has since its inception helped students of vocational and technical education attain higher level of skill acquisition.

In view of the above, the researcher desired to empirically analyze the relevance of SIWES program in the aspect of enhancing students’ entrepreneurial skills in polytechnics.

1.2    Statement of the Problem

SIWES is very vital to both educational institutions and industries. The researcher observed for the past few years that many students and other literate members of the society are still ignorant of SIWES program and its important contributions towards industrial experience outside classroom, especially in the training and development of competent manpower in the country. As a result, many participants see it as a waste of time and do not give it the needed priority attention that it deserves. In addition to the above is the dearth of the needed empirical literature on the suitability or otherwise of SIWES program to our educational institutions. Evaluation of the above, therefore, will be the focus of this research with a view to enlightening the discerning minds on the effectiveness of SIWES program.

1.3   Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of SIWES program on the enhancement of students’ entrepreneurial skills in tertiary educational institutions with specific reference to polytechnics. Specifically, the researcher will examine:

1. The relevance of SIWES to entrepreneurship education.
2. The extent to which students perceive SIWES as a course of study.
3. The determinants of incentives given to students on SIWES program.
4. The adequacy of SIWES duration.

1.4      Research Questions

The following research questions were used for the study:

1. What is the relevance of SIWES to entrepreneurship education?
2. To what extent do students perceive SIWES as a course of study?
3. What are the determinants of incentives given to students on SIWES program?
4. How adequate is SIWES duration?

1.5      Significance of the Study

The researcher finds it very necessary to embark on the study because of the relevance and contribution of SIWES to the training of Computer Science students in tertiary educational institutions.

Thus, the study will achieve the following:

1. Identify the training for skills acquisition in the Polytechnics among Computer Science students.
2. Sequel to this, the findings that emanate from this study would be of tremendous importance to educational planners and administrators on evolving educational policies in the areas of skills acquisition and development.
3. Lecturers of all the SIWES participating Schools in Polytechnics would find the findings of this study very informative and educative.
4. Students of all the SIWES participating Schools in Polytechnics, especially students in School of Information Technology, will be well informed of the necessity of SIWES by the findings of this study.
5. Those who would want to know more about SIWES will find this study very useful and interesting.

1.6      Scope of the Study

SIWES came into existence in 1973 as a scheme of enhancing the students’ entrepreneurial skills in order to make the industrial experience more effective, six (6) months industrial training after three hundred or four hundred level in the universities depending on the discipline, four (4) months industrial training after NDI in the polytechnics, and four (4) months industrial training after NCE II in colleges of education. Generally, in Federal Polytechnic, Nasaraswa, the categories of SIWES participants are the students in the following schools:

1. School of Applied Science
2. School of Engineering Technology
3. School of Environmental Studies
4. And School of Information Technology in which Computer Science department which is the researcher’s focal point is.

This research cannot cover all these participants; therefore it will limit itself to Computer Science department in Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa. In this regard, the NDII students shall form the focus of this study.

1.7      Definition of Terms

Vocational Education: This is the aspect of education or training designed to advance an individual’s proficiency in relation to his or her present future occupation; it offers courses leading to the acquisition of skills to enable one to perform certain jobs (Ugwuja, 2010).

Technical Education: This is the aspect education that leads to the acquisition of practical and applied skills as well as basic scientific knowledge (Ugwuja, 2010).

Entrepreneurship: The capacity and willingness to develop organize and manage a business venture along with its associated risks in order to make a profit (www.businessdictionary.com).

Entrepreneurship Education: This is the aspect of education that seeks to provide the students with the skills, knowledge, and motivation to encourage entrepreneurial success in a variety of settings (An-drudai, 2016).

Entrepreneurial Skills: This refers to all the technical knowledge required to develop, organize and manage a business venture successfully (Stevenson, 2013).