Introduction To SIWES Program

The Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is an accepted skills programme which forms part of the approved academic standards in the degree programme for Nigerian Universities and Polytechnics.

In 1974, the Federal Government of Nigeria introduced the national policy on Industrial training, called the Students, Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES). This programme is under the umbrella of the Ministry of Education through the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), was designed to help students acquire the necessary practical education/experience in their fields of study and other related professions.

The vision behind SIWES is for students acquire all necessary skills through the programmes to make them competitive in the Labour market within and outside Nigeria.

This is an effort which was created in order to bridge the existing gap between the theory taught in the classroom and practice of science, agriculture, medicine, engineering, technology and other professional programmes in the Nigerian tertiary institutions.

SIWES programme is aimed at exposing the students to the use of various machines and equipment’s, professional work methods and ways of safeguarding the work areas in industries as well as other organizations and parastatals.

The programme was established basically to impact elaborate practical understanding to students with respect to their various disciplines. It is also intended that the student through a process of relation to academic knowledge and practical industrial application would understand the underlying principles and become better focused and acquire the practical applications towards excellence in his or her discipline.

This training is funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria and jointly coordinated by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the National Universities and Polytechnic Commissions (NUC).

OBJECTIVES AND GOALS OF SIWES UNIT

Specifically, the objectives of the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) are to:

a) Provide an avenue for students in institutions of higher learning to acquire industrial skills and experience in their course of study, which are restricted to Engineering and Technology including Environmental studies and other courses that may be approved. Courses of NCE (Technical), NCE Agriculture, NCE (Business), NCE (Fine and Applied Arts) and NCE (Home Economics) in Colleges of Education are also included.

b) Prepare students for the industrial work situation they are to meet after graduation;

c) Expose students to work methods and techniques in handling equipment and machinery thatmay not be available in their institutions.

d) Make the transition from school to the world of work easier, and enhance students contactsfor later job placement;

e) Provide students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge in real work situation thereby bridging the gap between theory and practice; and

f) Enlist and strengthen employers, involvement in the entire educational process and prepare students for employment in Industry and Commerce.

g) To satisfy accreditation requirements set by NBTE.

h) To provide students an opportunity to see the real world of their discipline and consequently bridge the gap between the classroom and real work situation.

i) To provide access to equipment and other facilities that would not normally be available in a Polytechnic Laboratory/Workshop

j) To enable students assess interest and suitability for their chosen profession.

k) To enable Polytechnic educators assess the effectiveness of their curriculum and make modification as found necessary.

STUDENTS’ CODE OF CONDUCT ON SIWES

• You should endeavour to be of good behaviour at all times
• Be punctual and regular at work
• Maintain a cordial relationship with all members of staff
• Show initiative and drive in all your undertakings
• Take proper care of tools and manual in your possession
• Be loyal to the company and keep her secrets
• Report any difficulty or misunderstanding to your immediate supervisor
• Be a good ambassador of your institution and the ITF
• Follow strictly safety rules of where you work
• Be honest, neat and hard working
• Dressing code is very essential
• Provide your own accommodation. If your Host Company provides you any accommodation, take it with gratitude.
• Your Host Company is not expected to pay anything. But some companies have been known to give some incentive to students who apply themselves diligently to their assignments. Such an incentive should be accepted with gratitude if offered, and must be reported to the Coordinator of SIWES Unit in writing on completion of industrial training and your return to campus.
• Many of the people you will meet in Industry may not have had the benefit of Education. Even some of your Supervisors may fall into this category. But many of these people have had real work experience, and they will do their best to give you the benefit of their experience if you are humble and willing to learn. You must give due respect to you Industry-Based Supervisors and others.
• Apply yourself diligently to your initial assignment, no matter how menial it may seem. If you do well in a seemingly unchallenging one, and one step leads to another.

Reports and logbooks

• Keep proper records of activities undertaken during the period of attachment. Your Logbook is intended to be a personal record of your time and activities while on attachment.
• The Logbook should be kept in such a manner that you can use it as a work reference in the future.

Your daily entry should include:

1. Work done
2. Progress made on project you are working on
3. Notes of any procedure, technical process or design that may be of significance. If the spaces provided in the Logbook are not sufficient, use EXTRA PLAIN SHEETS to supplement the spaces.

• The Logbook must be submitted to your Industry-Based Supervisor for his/her endorsement on a weekly basis.
• On completion of industrial attachment and immediately after you return to the Polytechnic, the Logbook must be submitted to the Coordinator of SIWES Unit through your Departmental SIWES Coordinator.
• Each student must write a comprehensive report at the end of the attachment period. The report is intended to be neither a summary of what is contained in the Logbook, nor a chronological account of the training received.

But the report is expected to include such items as:

i. A description of the work you were assigned;
ii. Description of those aspects of your assignment which are unusual or of particular interest;
iii. The degree of responsibility you were given;
iv. Organisation structure of your Host Company;
v. Assessment of the benefit the training has afforded you;
vi. Suggestion for the improvement in the training programme;
vii. Your indebtedness;
viii. Suggestions for improvement in any facet of your Host Company.

Be reminded that the principal constituents of a report should include:

1. Front Cover
2. Table of Contents
3. Certification
4. Acknowledgement
5. Introduction
6. Main body of report
7. Conclusions and Recommendations
8. Appendix

• The report should be typewritten on A4 size paper. It should be illustrated, where appropriate, with drawings, graphs and sketches.
• The report may be Hard Cover or Soft Cover bound.
• The original and one copy of the report must be submitted to the SIWES Unit through your departmental Coordinator not later than four weeks after returning to School at the end of the attachment period.

LIKELY QUESTIONS THAT STUDENTS’ OFTEN ASK

1. When will the SIWES exercise commence?
2. What was the duration of the SIWES Programme?
3. Must student participate in the SIWES Programme?
4. Who organise the industrial safety lecture for the students?
5. When should student resume to his/her place of attachment?
6. How would student get their Logbook?
7. Can the student do his/her SIWES in another country?
8. Who look for places of attachment for students?
9. Kindly list the forms that students needs to complete for SIWES
10. How would student get their money?
11. In case of student being rejected at the placement place, what step would the student take?
12. Who signed the logbook for student on attachment?

RESPONSE TO THE QUESTIONS

1. The school calendar determines when the SIWES exercise is going to commence certainly, it commence second semester for ND1 Full-time Students and Second semester year II for part-time students.
2. The duration of SIWES programme is 4 months.
3. Only students pursuing SIWES approved programmes can take part in SIWES
4. The SIWES Unit organize a resources person to talk on the industrial safety to the students.
5. The latest time for students to report at their various places of attachment for this SIWES year is one week after the school examinations.
6. The logbook is to be purchased through the departmental SIWES Coordinator. This is the book where the student keeps the record of his or her daily and weekly learning activities. Students’ logbooks are expected to be up to date bearing in mind that their supervisors visit is an unscheduled one.
7. Student can undertake SIWES in another country subject to certain conditions. Interested students should visit the Coordinating unit for more information.
8. Student should look for places of attachment themselves and should ensure that quality places of attachment are secured. Failure to seek a place of attachment, students can seek assistance from the Departmental SIWES coordinator/Coordinating unit.
9. The forms that student needs to complete their SIWES are as follow; SPE-1 form, ITF form 8, Introduction letter, Bio-data form and letter of acceptance.
10. Only full time student that complete and submit his or her logbook, forms (form 08, bio-data, letter of acceptance and bank form) dully signed would be paid through their account submitted.
11. In case a student is being rejected, such student should look for another place of attachment in good time.
12. Industry-Based Supervisor endorsement on a weekly basis the student logbook as well the institution supervisor.

DURATION OF ATTACHMENT FOR SIWES FUNDING

The Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology students on the National Diploma Programme in the relevant courses will have four months Industrial Attachment at the end of their first year.

Visit the SIWES Office to obtain your form, send it for placement and get the log book.

Were would you love to be placed for your 4 months SIWES programme ?