THE INDUSTRIAL TRAINING

Industrial Training in Nigeria is almost in two phases; the first phase which can be termed Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) and the other being Students Internship Program. The first being for undergraduates and the latter being for graduates, though both are sometimes mixed up and misinterpreted by many today.

However, today, the focus is on the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme, a program which has now become mandatory for all undergraduates in acquiring a degree in any Nigerian tertiary institution, that is, universities, polytechnics, and monotechnics or colleges of education.

The SIWES is established by the Industrial Training Fund in 1973 with the aim of solving the problem of lack of adequate practical skills preparatory for employment in industries by Nigerian graduates of tertiary institutions. It is an effort to bridge the gap existing between theory and practice of engineering and technology, science, management, medical, agriculture and other professional educational programmes in the Nigerian tertiary institutions.

Main Objectives of SIWES

Here are some of the basic objectives  of SIWES outlined below:

1. To prepare the students for the work situation they are likely to encounter after graduation, thereby providing them the avenue to acquire industrial skills and experience in their different course of study.

2. It helps to enlist and also strengthen employers' involvement in the entire educational process of preparing graduates for employment at different levels in their different fuel of study.

3. It bridges the gap between university theories and Industrial practices through exposition to real work methods and techniques in equipment handling and machineries operation.

This write-up will not be complete if  the challenges experienced before and during SIWES are not mentioned. From my little experience with people, I have discovered that in many public institutions especially, only less than 30% of any institution gets to complete scheduled I.T. Take for instance, a university, only less than 30% of the students scheduled to go for I.T gets to have a complete 6-months I.T program while the over 70% wander around for weeks and months before getting a placement for their programme. 

This could be largely due to many reasons such as students' lack of early search for placement, ignorance, companies selection based on grades, course of study not a major need in the employment world, students too money-focused, companies unwillingness and many more. 

This is a growing concern which needs to be corrected in our time. I have seen people who had just a month of Industrial Training, I have seen some who couldn't get a placement till their resumption back to school and I have as well seen those who had a complete year I.T (polytechnics) and a complete 6-months I.T (universities); like the Bible said, time and chance happen to them all. At least, I couldn't get a complete I.T experience myself and I can say it well that I started out my I.T at a firm that has no relation to my field, engineering and I still had to spend at least #500.00 daily without any salary or bonus paid in return. I was only determined to start working somewhere without waiting for the right placement and after a while, about a month, I got a placement in my field of study.

Good to also note that we all cannot get our place of comfort in our search for placement, some get their on a platter of gold while some others on a platter of silver and bronze and even some on a platter of wood, the most important thong is to ensure you are focused wherever you find yourself. However, it is no one's fault but your if you couldn't get a placement for your I.T, there are placements everywhere, you are just being selective.

In conclusion, every students anticipating to go for I.T must be ready to subject himself under the authorities he/she finds himself or herself and ready to comply with the rules of the organisation, no matter how big or small the enterprise may be. Also a note to some industrial authorities, to please treat all trainees well with good integrity and fear of God and not as slaves or servants. It is a truth they have come to learn bit they have not come to serve us. Let us accord unto the students respect and honor accorded unto other staffs in organisation. 

May God help our education system, God help the Labour Market and God help Nigeria.