AN EXAMINATION ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF INDUSTRIAL TRAINING IN HIGHER INSTITUTION IN NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The Industrial Training Fund (ITF), which has its headquarters in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, founded industrial training practical in 1973. (ITF and UNIJOS, 2011). It bridges the theoretical and practical gaps, allowing students at Nigerian tertiary institutions to gain technical skills and experience for professional development throughout their studies. As a result, all Nigerian Tertiary Institutions of Learning recognize it. It is required for a number of degree programs (Mafe Olubunmi, 2009). It is a three-credit course that students must complete before they can graduate. Its goal is to expose and prepare students at the country’s Tertiary institutions of learning for the industrial job scenarios that will await them after graduation. The industrial work experience program for students aims to close the gap.
By exposing students to the skills required for a smooth transition from the classroom to the workplace, the gap between theory and practice is bridged. It helps students gain vocational, technical, and life experience in order to advance their professional and career opportunities. Prior to the Scheme’s launch, Nigerian business leaders were concerned that graduates of higher education institutions lacked the necessary practical experience for employment. Employers believe that theoretical knowledge obtained at higher education institutions is insufficient to meet economic demands. In this context, the Fund provided IT TRAINING in its early years to give students the opportunity to work with industrial equipment and machines (ITF and UNIJOS, 2011).
Practical industrial training is a type of Postsecondary students can participate in an industrial internship program. According to Mafe Olubunmi (2009), all stakeholders are involved in the operation of IT TRAINING, but students are the key players who are directly involved in its execution. According to Mafe Olubunmi, (2010), quoting Crag Johnson, (1987), IT TRAINING is broad because it encompasses more than 70 programs in universities, over 50 programs in polytechnics, and around 15 programs in schools of education. Among the most popular courses in Nigerian tertiary institutions are engineering, vocational, technological, agricultural science, forestry, industrial chemistry, microbiology, geology and mineral science, physics and mineral science, plant and environmental biology, computer science, tourism and hospitality, business education, industrial engineering, enterprise creation and management, computer engineering, and related courses (Crag Johnson, 1987). Students’ program experiences are an excellent tool for assisting them in certain fundamental aspects of their full development in practical and technological courses, allowing them to acquire the necessary skills. Many students lack the relevant and marketable skills that businesses require; students face the challenge of learning the necessary practical knowledge, but Industrial Training has helped to alleviate this issue. As a result, students are encouraged to visualize what they are learning (Mafe Olubunmi, 2009). However, the implementation of this IT program has improved students’ performance, particularly in terms of establishing direct contact with some of the new students who have been theoretically educated in school. The goal of IT training is to help students find a solution to a problem.
ssue of unemployment, in taking their first steps in their life profession with joy and confidence, and in preparing them for life in general. To summarize, students who have benefited from IT training opportunities advance to the next level and are prepared to face whatever challenges they may face in their careers in terms of learning new skills. The importance of industrial training in Nigerian higher education institutions, on the other hand, will be investigated in this study.
1.2 Problem Identification
Without a doubt, industrial training is a commendable skills development program aimed at bridging the gap between classroom theory and practical practice (Mafe Olubunmi, 2009). Despite the importance of Industrial Training in students’ professional development, the scheme has been hampered by issues such as employer discrimination.
Rejection, lack of relevance of training locations, insufficient student supervision by some institutions, and an insufficient industrial training orientation program (Mafe Olubunmi, 2009). Another issue that industrial training faces is a lack of funding to ensure the scheme’s effective operation. Against this backdrop, the purpose of this study was to investigate the significance of industrial training in Nigerian higher education institutions.
1.3 The Study’s Objectives
The study’s overarching goal was to investigate the significance of industrial training in Nigerian higher education institutions.
The specific goals are as follows:
i. To investigate the effects of practical industrial training on students’ job experience.
ii. Determine the impact of industrial training on human resource development through certification and accreditation.
iii. To ascertain the difficulties encountered by the students during
Their program of industrial training.
iv. To establish a link between labor employers and the skill potentials of industrial training participants.
1.4 Research Issues
The following research questions will be addressed by this study:
i. What effects does practical industrial training have on students’ job experience?
ii. How does industrial training contribute to human resource development through certification and accreditation?
iii. What challenges did the students face during their industrial training program?
iv. Is there a link between labor employers and the skill potentials of industrial training participants?
1.5 Importance of the Research
The study of the importance of industrial training in Nigerian higher education institutions
will assist students in achieving the practical aspect of
earning, which will aid them in their theoretical training. Because they understand the importance of the program, the students will be more committed to the program rather than relaxing and forging industrial training letters from any company. It encourages Industrial Training workers to be more committed to their jobs by making it mandatory for students to gain the necessary practical knowledge and experience during the training period. The study will be important to the academic community because it will add to the existing literature.
1.6 The Study’s Scope
The research will look into the effects of industrial training on students’ job experiences. The study will also determine the contributions.
of industrial training on human resources development through certification and accreditation. The study will also determine the challenges that the students faced during their industrial training program. Finally, the study will determine the relationship between labor employers and the skill potentials of industrial training participants. As a result, this study will be limited to the University of Ibadan in Oyo State.
1.7 Research limitations
As with any other research, the researcher encountered constraints in the cause of this study, including a lack of needed accurate materials on the topic under study and an inability to obtain data. The researcher faced financial constraints in obtaining relevant materials as well as printing and collating questionnaires. Furthermore, because the researcher is under time constraints,
to switch between writing the research and doing other academic work, which made the researcher uncomfortable.
1.8 Terminology Definitions
Industrial training is a program that provides supervised practical training within a set time frame.
Colleges, technical training institutes, community colleges, nursing schools, research laboratories, centers of excellence, and distance learning centers are examples of higher education institutions.
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