Hello everyone of this great community. Today, I want to discuss with you a program for schools in my country Nigeria, that is aimed at developing students like myself and exposing them to the work field and broadening their knowledge on what we've been learning in school. This program is called Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES).
WHAT IS STUDENT INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME (SIWES)
The Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is a program which was established by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in 1937 under the direct coordination of the Nigeria University Commission (NUC), National Commission of Collage of Education (NCCE), and National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to solve the problem of lack of adequate practical skills required for employment in industrial by Nigerian graduates of tertiary institutions.
Participation in industrials training is a well-known education strategy. Classroom studies are integrated with learning through hands-on work experience in a field related to the student’s academic program and careers preparation but proved opportunities for learners to develop skills necessary to become leaders in their chosen professions.
One of the primary goals of SIWES is to help students integrate leadership development into the experiential learning process. Students are expected to learn and develop basic non-profit leadership skills through a mentoring relationship with innovative non-profit leaders. By integrating leadership development activities into the Industrial Training experience, ITF hope to encourage students to actively engage in non-profit management as a professional career objective.
Participation in SIWES has become a necessary pre-condition for the award of Diploma and Degree certificates in specific disciplines in most institutions of higher learning in the country.
AIM OF SIWES
SIWES is aimed at promoting the much-desired technological know-how for the advancement of the nation by exposing students to machines and equipment, professional work methods, and ways of safeguarding the work environment as well as the workers in the industries and other organizations.
OBJECTIVES OF SIWES
The following are some of the objectives of SIWES;
- To provide the students with the opportunity to test their interest in a particular area before permanent communication is made.
- To develop skills in the application of theory to practical work situations.
- To provide students the opportunity to test their aptitude for a particular area before permanent commitments are made.
- To prepare SIWES students in entering into full-time employment in their area of specialization upon graduation.
- To help SIWES students acquire good work habits.
- To help SIWES students develop employment records/references that will enhance employment opportunities.
This program has in many ways helped so many students, I inclusive. I must say that I have just finished my Industrial Training as well. The duration of the Industrial Training is 6 months, and I started in the month of March. I was in the field of computer networking so as to build my skills and also have more work experience on computer networking.
In Nigerian universities, students that are in any science-related faculties, go for this Industrial Training in the second semester of their third year (300 Level 2nd semester) while for engineering faculties, the students start their training in the second semester of their 4th year (400 Level 2nd semester). This is because the duration of course for science and other faculties is 4 years, while that of engineering faculties is 5 years. Medical courses, on the other hand, are capped at 6 years.
The Industrial Training is a course on its own, and it is the only course that students are to do when they get to that level.
I hope you have learned something today. Do have a great day.
Thanks for stopping by.
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@steem.skillshare