The Relevance Of Industrial Work Experience To Secretarial Students (A Case Study Of The Department Of Secretarial Studies IMT Enugu
This chapter reviews literature relating to the theme and sub-theme of this study. Major ideas of this section are grouped and presented under the following sub-headings.
- SIWES as a means of practical on the job training
- Providing indigenous manpower through SIWES
- SIWES and students experience of practical knowledge in the use of machines and equipment.
- SIWES Relevance to the department of secretarial studies.
- Summary of literature review.
2.1 SIWES AS A MEANS OF PRACTICAL ON THE JOB TRAINING
In the work of Anona and Okoye, in 1991 “the world is advancing scientifically and industrially to the extent that Nigeria shouldn’t lag behind in this endeavor.
They stressed that there is no doubt in the fact that industrialization is on off-shoot of skills prganization, thus the students industrial work experience is designed to aids to the acceleration of industrialization by the federal government.
Aghenworo in 1992 wrote “Training for industries” and revealed in it that SIWES gives students much opportunities in the practical utilization of their theorized skills given a job environment. He further emphasized that SIWES helps students to make adequate decisions as they affects real live industrial job experience.
Haws, proposed further that in Cincinnati (USA) that this method of skill acquisition was initially introduced into the Engineering field where there existed a cooperation between industries and academic institutions. In the arrangement students were expected to alternate between periods of study and work on the job. The objectives here were to aid students in learning through industrial extension service is adaptive to vocational orientation and was further emphasized by Haws as the interviewing of theory and practice. This he thought would bring about better innovation, skills and training of manpower that is technically biased.
Okoye and Anona, 1991 again stated that considering the importance of secretarial administration in federal polytechnic. One of the common objectives of the institutions was to prepare participating students to meet up and lighten their technological aspirations.
The department further agrees that and commends both practically and otherwise the setting up of SIWES in order to achieve the objectives for which it was established.
The industrial training fund (ITF) in its policy documents published in 1973, dealt expansively with the issues of practice skills amongst locally trained professionalization which is of this policy documents, stated “Great emphasis will be placed on assisting products of university and polytechnics to adopt easily to their possible post” there by laying grounds for graduation job environment. The skill was also thought to work out a symbolic relationship between machinery and industry for students in order that they receive training that sis compatible with their areas of study.
In recent times, it is observable to see or notice that students who are only exposed to theoretical teachings without practical reorientation are bound to perform poorly in office jobs after graduation (Okorie 2001). This goes a long way to better the fact that whatever services are rendered is considered a reflection of the quality of our human resources.
Furthermore, the role of research and development in solving social problems cannot be over emphasized, this is why in the area of science and technology, there can be no progress unless there exist a corresponding progress in research in our polytechnics. This will definitely go further in enhancing our practical industrial experience for the award of any given certificate.
- PROVIDING INDIGENOUS MANPOWER THROUGH SIWES
In the words of Okoye and Anona, 1991, SFEM and SAP as introduced by the Babangida Administration has reduced drastically the amount of finished products. This, they believed has left a vacuum which polytechnic graduates are expected to fill while carrying out their industrial attachment in pursuit of a Higher National Diploma (HND). This industrial training through its-in-built features of unemployment, this is because this deliberate training goes long way into groomed and skilled manpower. Iroegbu, 2000.
Aghenworo observed that lack of trained and skilled of most Nigerian students in this discipline have increased and as such it is in pursuance of the desired manpower training that the industrial training fund (ITF) has worked out a programme whereby such students in our institutions of higher learning are exposed to industrial experience in order to receive such training.
Okoye and Anona, 1991 again agreed that proper training orientation will afford students some help in achieving self employment status. They further contended that emphasis on research and development should be concentrated on restructuring and diversification of the economy by converting raw materials into usable forms and in sufficient quantity. Thus the federal government made the SIWES scheme compulsory for all prospective (HND) students in order to generate the desired manpower.
Chukwujekwu 1991 laid emphasis on the use of SIWES to be able to minimize the effect of cultural attitude on regulated employment and erosion of our societal values.
Furthermore, SIWES in human resources development emphasizes diverse processed aimed at contributing to social economic development through purposeful result orientated training. Thus SIWES prepare students for the work and process of preparing such students employment in industry. The programme has as it major objective promotion and encouragement of skills with a views of grooming indigenous manpower that are trained to meet with the need of the country’s economy.
2.3 SIWES AND STUDENTS EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE USE OF MACHINES AND EQUIPMENTS.
In the words of Isiwu in 1992 “SIWES helps to expose students handling various office of secretarial studies students knowing how to handle typewriters, filling and data processing through computers and attributed that feat to training provided by SIWES
The SIWES programme is also designed to compare theory and practice with the sole objectives of producing graduated that can create jobs.
According to an ITF guide “The concept of training through SIWES at all stages of work life is a factor that enhances mobility of the labor force”
Ihedu 2000 “That the SIWES programme is the preparation of the participating is the preparation of the participating students to use their hands and brains for the future.
He further states that the scheme makes provision for participating students to attract supervisory experience of working in industries as supplements to their studies. Thus the students is supervised by a supervised employee while operating the machines and this provides a direction to the students on how to carry out tasks.
Dikko, in 1975 Emphasized that students who train under the SIWES scheme should necessarily enjoy the cooperation of both employers (occupationally) and lecturers (training) in any given situation.
2.4 SIWES RELEVANCE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SECRETARIAL STUDIES.
According to Okorie, 2000, SIWES helps in preparing students of secretarial studies to meet up with technological improvement and further creates alertness to the changing needs of aspiration of mankind.
Thus the department secretarial studies recommends both in theory and practice the establishment of the SIWES by the federal government in order to achieve its objectives through the cooperate mechanism of the SIWES scheme.
Furthermore, Dikko, in 1995 posited that SIWES offers students and the department of secretarial studies the opportunity to make use of academic knowledge in a real life industrial job environment related to his or her academic discipline
According to Okorie, 2000, the students gain more knowledge during their SIWES training and this will likely assisted them to pass any interview for employment after graduation.
2.5 SUMMARY OF RELATED LITERATURE
The students industrial work experience really ensures efficiency in both school and quantity of the nations economic output. Anona and Okoye therefore points out that this scheme should be given due attention that no sacrifices should be termed too great in trying to actualize national goals.
SIWES therefore is made to prepare students for work situation they are to encounter after graduation from their various institutions
