Enhancing Students’ Work Experience Through the Engagement of Small and Medium Enterprises
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Date
2022-03-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Arts Science & Technology. University of Technology, Jamaica
Abstract
This paper unveiled the major challenges being faced by Nigerian students
during their engagement in Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme
(SIWES). It explores a better way of improving students’ engagement in the
Work Experience Scheme by involving small and medium enterprises to
provide entrepreneurial exposure and business mentorship. Although the
Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) has offered many
Nigerian students the required exposure to practical work experience, some
have not benefited from it. Some of the reasons for this include the increased
student population in Nigerian tertiary institutions, the inability of indus tries to absorb all students due to limited spaces, and the inability to pay the
required stipend. Other problems include the wrong placement of students
for the exercise. This paper proffered strategies for providing a more robust
programme of engagement that would promote entrepreneurial spirit and
skills required by students to establish personal ventures and succeed at it
at the end of their academic pursuit. The programme will provide oppor tunities to capture all that the students are required to go for SIWES in a
more appropriate setting and provide rich collaboration between Small and
Medium Enterprises (SME’S) and educational institutions in Nigeria.