Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) and the Incidence of Occupational Misfit in Nigeria

Abstract
The incidence of occupational misfit among Nigerian graduates
have taken a centre stage in the debate on the relevance and quality of
higher education to national development. It is on this basis that studies
tend to assess the trends in work-base study programmes with reference
to skill acquisition and utilization. This study therefore examined the
SIWES scheme and the incidence of occupational misfit in Nigeria. The
ex-post facto research design was used for the study. The population was
estimated at 2,242 comprised of students from four polytechnics (849),
four monotechnics (550) and (542) Industrial Training Officials of SIWES
in Science, Technology and Agriculture related courses selected through
the purposive and stratify random sampling techniques. Data were
collected using an expert validated questionnaire tagged: “Students
Industrial Work Experience Scheme Skills Development and Utilization
(SIWESSDUS) r = 0.89 complemented with relevant primary data from
the Industrial Training Fund Office. Three hypotheses were tested, using
Chi square (X2), and multiple regression analysis at 0.05 alpha. Findings
indicated that 61.9% (male) and 38.1% (female) participated in the study
with a mean age of 32.5 years. SIWES has contributed to skill acquisition
significant (78%) and skills utilization in industrial development (68%).
SIWES significantly influenced the certification and accreditation of
courses in the Monotechnic and Polytechnic Institutions (x2 = 301. 317;
df = 12, P< 0.05); and SIWES had also enhanced the extent of funding
skills-acquisition programmes by the Federal Government (x2 =
1287.692, df = 12 P<0.05). Meanwhile, SIWES also improved positively
the level of skills utilization by employers of labour (x2 = 324, 429; df =
15, P< 0.05). It is recommended that government should devote sufficient
financial resources to all levels and aspects of education to sustain skill
acquisition programme such as in SIWES.
Background to the Study
Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is a
human capital formation programme through industrial
attachment for which students are expected to have a practical
experience on the basis of theories and principles acquired in
the teaching-learning process. However, the prevalence of the
inability of participants of SIWES to secure employment after
the programme casts doubt on the continuing relevance of
SIWES to the contemporary industrial development drive in
Nigeria.
Human resource development constitutes the most
critical factor in the development process and the quality must
therefore be inherent in the productive capacity of people.
Human societies in the quest for development have identified
and developed institutional as well as structured training and
educational programmes as major avenues for processing
human beings to acquire the necessary skills and technical
competence for their roles in the development of the society.
In this context, Ojeleye (1994) observed that, it is not
only in advanced nations that science and technology are
spreading, but that, they are increasingly valued whenever
people value their nation’s independence, prosperity, power
and prestige, and also, where nations seek a high standard of
living, improved health or better education. In most
discussions on human resource management, training and
development represents the most significant, Ashton and
Felslead (1995) regarded investment by organizations in the
skill acquisition of employees as a ‘Litmus test’ for a change in
the way they are managed.
Since independence, the issue that has attracted the
interest of succeeding Governments in Nigeria has been that of
human resource development. From the beginning of Nigeria’s
nationhood, it was imminent that the pace of national
development through technological advancement devolved not
so much on the availability of means or resources, rather, on
the articulation and effective utilization of the vast human and
material resources. It is on this basis that investment on
training of the human factor becomes a serious challenge as
science and technology related courses are requisite for
national development (NISER, 2000)
Therefore, it is observed that, initial efforts aimed at
achieving rapid national development were concentrated on
the expansion of formal educational institutions, though these
considerably increased in number, yet did not and were not
expected to have acquired the skilled, knowledge and varied
technological expertise required to meet the needs of special
and vital sectors of the economy. However, the fundamental
role of education in human resource development is a matter
of priority for any developing country to evolve a functional
education policy. This is necessary because, only through
such priority can a country lay a solid foundation for a future,
stable and result-oriented human resource development.
Thus, growth and development, which will result form
effective organizational change, depend on a well-educated and
adequately skilled human capital that is capable of applying
vision, knowledge and creativity to their economic activities.
Thus, industrial education which can be achieved through the
formal or/and informal educational approach(es) attracted the
attention of Government and individuals, in contemporary
development environment.
Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is
a programme designed to expose and prepare students of
Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Technology, Colleges of
Agriculture and Education for Industrial Work situation which
they are likely to meet after graduation. It is a skills training
programme which affords students the opportunity of
familiarizing, acquiring and exposing themselves with the
needed experience in handling industrial equipment and
machinery that are not usually available in their institutions.
Usman (1983), then notes that the acquisition and
development of knowledge, skills and capabilities can either be
facilitated through the educational system or through other
non-formal educational approaches. And it is also observed
that, an effective industrialization policy is certainly difficult, if
not impossible, without an effective human resources
development policy (Olaiya, 1998). Considering all the facts of
production, the human factor is the most important. Without
skilled personnel in all facets of production, management,
distribution, marketing and supervision among others, the
objectives for which industrial policy have been drawn become
unachievable.
Statement of the Problem
Students industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) is a
laudable skills acquisition programme which is geared towards
technological development of the nation. However, the scheme
cannot be said to have achieved the desired objectives due to
many factors ranging from the structural causes of
performance problems that have plagued the system, but also
increasing number of students and institutions which place
undue pressure on the few surviving industrial organizations
and most students on attachment in places of convenience
without giving considerations to the relevance of the workplace
to their course of studies. The study is therefore to determine
the influence of SIWES on skills development, utilization and
the incidence of graduate occupational misfit in Nigeria.
Objectives of the Study
The specific objectives are to:
i)
find out the contributions of SIWES to human
resources development through certification and
accreditation of technology-based courses;
ii)
establish the correlation between the needs of
employers of labour and the skill potentials of SIWES
participants; and
iii)
determine the level of supervision and funding by
collaborating institutions.
The study then hypothesized that:
Methodology
The study adopted the ex-post facto research design. From an
estimated population of 2,242 SWIES participants in
monotechnics, polytechnics, industrial training fund officials,
SWIES co-ordinators, a sample size of 1,518 was selected
through the multi-stage sampling procedure of stratification,
and proportionate. Experts validated structured 35 items
questionnaire tagged “Students Industrial Work Experience
Skill Development And Utilization (SIWEDU)” with a reliability
value of 0.89 determined through Kuder Richardson formula
K-R21 after pilot test was used for data collection. Data were
analyzed using simple percentage counts, chi-square (X2) and
multiple regression statistic at 0.05 alpha.

    Date: 2026-08-12 00:00:00.000000