The study assessed Students' Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), using students of the Faculty of Agriculture,Â University ofMaiduguri as respondents. Structured questionnaire was used to collect datafrom randomly selected sixtyÂ students who participated in SIWES programme during 2003/2004 session. Data were analyzed using percentages,Â correlation analysis and ranking order methods. The majorfindings were that 61% of the respondents were male whileÂ 38.3% were females; 48.3% were members of Agricultural societies during their secondary school education. CropÂ Production techniques (AGF 401) was ranked by 53.3% of the respondents as the most preferred course, while the leastÂ preferred course was Workshop Practice (AGF 410) as indicatedby only 0.2% of the respondents. Inadequate practicalÂ facilities, transportation and funds were the major problems encountered in the implementation of the SIWESÂ programme. It is therefore, recommended that policy should be formulated to ensure adequate provision of the requisiteÂ logistics to successfully implement the programme

A Ibrahim

A O Ani

B. O Ogunbameru

H I.M Gaya

Journal of Agricultural Extension

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Journal of Agricultural ExtensionVol. 9, 2006Assessment of Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme: Focus onFaculty of Agriculture Students, University of Maiduguri, Borno State,Nigeria.A.O Ani, Ogunbameru, B.O, Gaya, H.I.M and A. Ibrahim,Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.ABSTRACTThe study assessed Students' Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), using students of the Faculty of Agriculture,University ofMaiduguri as respondents. Structured questionnaire was used to collect datafrom randomly selected sixtystudents who participated in SIWES programme during 2003/2004 session. Data were analyzed using percentages,correlation analysis and ranking order methods. The majorfindings were that 61% of the respondents were male while38.3% were females; 48.3% were members of Agricultural societies during their secondary school education. CropProduction techniques (AGF 401) was ranked by 53.3% of the respondents as the most preferred course, while the leastpreferred course was Workshop Practice (AGF 410) as indicatedby only 0.2% of the respondents. Inadequatepracticalfacilities, transportation and funds were the major problems encountered in the implementation of the SIWESprogramme. It is therefore, recommended that policy should beformulated to ensure adequate provision of the requisitelogistics to successfully implement theprogramme.1.0 INTRODUCTIONDemonstration of practical agricultural activities is one of the key strategies to ensure sustainable agriculturaldevelopment. This is only possible when there is proper and adequate training given to individual studentswho will subsequently transfer the knowledge and skill they acquire from their training to farmers who arethe end-users. Benor et al (1984) had indicated that increasing efficiency of production depends mainly onthe extent to which farmers can incorporate improved agricultural practices into their farming operations.Similarly, Ani (1998) had noted that for farmers to use improved practices, they must first become aware ofthe existence of such practices, develop interest in them, evaluate, try and become convinced of theirrelevance and usefulness. This could be possible when farmers are well taught. According to Youdeowei andKwarteng (1995) training is the process of providing knowledge, skills and bringing about desired changes inattitudes in order to improve the competence of people being trained. The goal of training is to improveperformance. The need for training arises when there is a discrepancy between an employee’s currentperformance and the required standard of performance in his/her present position and when some way ofdoing some thing has been developed.The student industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) is one of the ways of training agriculturalstudents that will eventually teach farmers improved practical agricultural activities. The SIWES is theaccepted skill training programme that forms part of the approved minimum academic standards inagricultural sciences for all the Nigerian .Universities. The specific objectives of the SIWES as enshrined inthe job specification for agriculture in all Nigerian Universities (National Universities CommissionHandbook, 1997) are to:1. provide an avenue for students to acquire skills and experience in their course of study, and2. provide students the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge in real work situation by*bridging the gap between University work and actual practice.It is through the scheme that agricultural students derive occupational skills required for the world of work inagriculture. The courses offered under SIWES at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri include..AGF 401- Crop Production techniques, AGF 402-Animal husbandry techniques, AGF 403-Agricultural38Journal of Agricultural ExtensionVol. 9, 2006product processing and storage, AGF 404-Crop protection, pest and diseases control, AGF 405-Animalhealth management, AGF 406-Soil survey, AGF 407-Farm design, farm survey and land use planning, AGF* . *i- ,1 .408-Farm management, records and accounts, AGF 409-Extension practice, AGF 410-Workshop practice,AGF 411-Farm mechanization practice, AGF 412-Soil management and AGF 413-Report writing.§At the University of Maiduguri, the SIWES programme has been on for over ten years. Before nowarstudents were attached to organisations outside the university that was lasting only three months. Onrecognition of the shortcomings of this (students were not getting enough practical experience) the universityauthority then decided to imbibe the National University Commission regulation, which stipulates oneacademic session for practical training of students. However, no empirical study has been conducted to assessthe scheme using students as opinion guide. Consequently, tins study was carried out to assess the students’socio-economic characteristics, their preferred courses offered under the scheme, and the major problemsencountered in implementing the SIWES programme.2.0 METHODOLOGYThe study was conducted involving the 500-level final year students in the six Departments of the Faculty ofAgriculture, University of Maiduguri, namely; Dep > tment of Agricultural Economics and Extension, AnimalScience, Crop Production, Crop Protection, Food S nee and Technology and Soil Science.iData were collected using structured questionnaires administered to 10 students randomly selected fromeach of the six Departments in the Faculty, giving a sample size of 60 respondents. The statistical tools usedin the data analysis were percentages, ranking and correlation analysis.3.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONSocio-economic characteristics of the students who participated in 2003/2004 SIWES programme wereexamined. These included their sex, parents’ occupation, membership in Agricultural society and offer ofAgricultural Science subject at secondary school level. The findings are presented in Table 1.TABLE 1. Socio-economic characteristics of SIWES studentsNo. of Respondents PercentageSocio-economic variablesSex61.737MaleFemaleTotal38.32310060Parents’ occupationFarmersCivil servantsOthersTotal31.01942.02527.01610060Membership in Agricultural societyYes 48.32951.731No10060TotalOffered Agriculture Science at Secondary School62.037Yes38.022No10060TotalSource: Field survey, 2005.39Journal of Agricultural ExtensionVol. 9, 2006Table 1 shows that 61.7 percent of the respondents were male while 38.3 percent were female. Thisindicates that there were more male students than female in the faculty. Generally, women perceiveagriculture as a strenuous and physically demanding discipline (Ani, 2004). A long list of dominant factorshave been identified for the low participation of girls and women in science and technology (agricultureinclusive). These factors are interwoven into religion, attitude, career prospect, general bias, inadequatecareer counseling, longstanding stereotypes and socio-cultural factors (Williams 1987; Bajah and Bonzimo,1989; Iliya, 1996; Adeniyi and Ladun, 1997 and Dauda, 1998)Parents’ occupational analysis indicates that 42 percent of the respondents’ parents were civil servants,35 percent were farmers while 27 percent were of other learned professions. Parents are in position to impactmeaningful information and experiences to their sons and daughters, which can be relevant to their careeraspiration in agriculture. Many parents have acquired experience from their various occupationalbackgrounds.The responses to membership in Agricultural Societies show that 48.3 percent of the respondents weremembers of Agricultural Societies during their secondary school education while 51.7 percent were not. Itcan be inferred from the findings that their membership in Agricultural Societies at secondary school, couldhave influenced their choice of agriculture as a course in the University. Table 1 further showed that 62percent of the respondents offered Agricultural Science as a subject during their secondary school educationwhile 38 percent did not. This could have fundamental implication on the performance of the students in theirchosen career. It could be assumed that students who studied Agriculture at ordinary level stood a betterchance of performing better than students who did not offer it at that level.Respondents’ preferences inSIWES coursesTABLE 2. Ranking of SIWES courses according to students’ preferencesPercentage RankingCourses153.311.6AGF4012AGF40237.6AGF40846.6AGF40755.6• AGF40465.5AGF4037. 5.0AGF41282.6AGF40691.2AGF409100.8AGF411110.5AGF405120.2AGF410Source: Field survey, 2005.•ft_Table 2 shows the result of preferential ranking of the SIWES courses by respondents. The result of theanalysis show's that 53.3 percent of the respondents indicated AGF 401 (Crop Production techniques) as their. .most preferred course, followed by AGF 402 (Animal Husbandry techniques) while the least preferredcourses are AGF 410, AGF 405 and AGF 411 as indicated by 0.2%, 0.5% and 0.8% of the respondents,respectively. The courses with low preferential score could mean that the respondents have not known their- 40Journal of Agricultural ExtensionVol. 9, 2006relevance to their training and development. However, low preferences of some of the option could just be amatter of choice, without tangible reasons attached to it.Result of correlation analysisTABLE 3:Socio-economic variables Effective participation in SIWESParents’ occupationMembership in Agric SocietyOffer of Agric Science in Secondary School0.4610.9190.623Source: Field survey, 2005As shown in Table 3, Membership in Agricultural society and offer of Agricultural Science atsecondary school level have positive relationship with effective participation in SIWES activities, whileparents’ occupation is negatively related to effective participation. Respondents’ performance ifiexamination and attendance in SIWES activity was used as proxy for effectiveness.Constraints in implementing the SIWES activitiesTABLE 3: Problems encountered by respondents during the SIWES programmeNumber of respondentsMajor problems PercentageFinancial ProblemTransportationSource: Field Survey, 2005.* Multiple responses exist; hence, total exceeds 100 percent.Table 3 revealed that majority (65%) of the respondents ranked lack of practical equipment as their majorproblem, while financial and transportation problems where ranked as the second and third most criticalproblems respectively. Adequacy of practical equipment is one of the surest means for adequate training.Lack of it will definitely defeat the aim of the scheme and discourage students from full participation. Theproblem of transportation was attributed to the tact that many of the agro-industries or farms where thestudents did the SIWES programme were far from their places of residence.31 5223 384.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONSThis study assessed Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme using students of the Faculty ofAgriculture, University of Maiduguri as the target audience. Although, the respondents ranked SIWEScourses according to preferences, those courses that have least preferences could be as a result of inadequatepractical equipment or the respondents did not know the relevance of such courses in terms of the courses’direct bearing on their training and future professional development.The minimum academic standards of skills training programmes in Nigerian Universities can beachieved through SIWES if students are allowed to make their choice ofaddition to addressing the problems of SIWES suchproblems. The future holds promise in developing students to work methods, skills and experience if SIWESprogramme is adequately carried out in most tertiary institutions of the country.career at the initial stage. This is inas lack of practical equipment, finance and transportation41Journal of Agricultural ExtensionVol. 9, 2006REFERENCESAdeniyi, E.O and I.T Ladun, (1997): “Women in National Development: The Place of Science, Technologyand Mathematics education, 11th Annual congress proceeding of the Nigeria Academic of Education.Ani, A.O. (1998): Assessment of Farmers’ Extension Education Needs in Yobe State, Nigeria, NigerianJournal ofAgriculturalEducation, VI (1&2): 152-158Ani, A. O. (2004): Women in Agriculture and Rural Development. Priscaquila Publishers, Maiduguri, Bornoi> —State, Nigeria.#Bajah, S.T. and H. Bonzimo, (1989): “Low Participation of Girls in Science, Technology and MathematicsEducation: Strategic for redress, A paper presented at a National Workshop on Promoting Science,Technology and Mathematic Education Among Girls and Women in Nigeria; Federal Ministry ofEducation, Women Education Unit.Benor, D; Harrison, J.O. and M. Baxter, (1984): Agricultural Extension: The Training and Visit System,Washington, D.C., World Bank.Dauda, M.O.S. (1998): The Relevance of Science and Technological Subjects in Female Education, A paperpresented at the workshop organized by the Guidance and Counseling Unit, Kaduna State Ministry ofEducation, Kafanchan and Godogodo Zonal Education held at GGSS Kafanchan.Iliya, H. (1996): “Impediments to Female Aspiration to career in Science and Technology: Implication forGuidance and Counselling. Unpublished conference paper.National Universities Commission Handbook, (1997): “Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme JobSpecification for Agriculture for all Nigerian Universities.Williams, A.G. (1987): “On Promoting Female- Participation in Science, Technology and MathematicEducation, Education today Vol 1 No. 1PP 20-26.Youdeowei, A. and J. Kwarteng (1995): Development Training Materials in Agriculture: A courseManual. Sayce Publishers, United Kingdom.42

Assessment of Studentsâ€™ Industrial Work Experience Scheme: Focus on Faculty of Agriculture Students, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.

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Assessment of Studentsâ€™ Industrial Work Experience Scheme: Focus on Faculty of Agriculture Students, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.

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