INVESTIGATION ON THE IMPACT OF SIWES ON AUTOMOBILE TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION STUDENTS FOR INDUSTRIAL SKILLS ACQUIRED IN LAGOS STATE

Abstract This study investigated the impact of the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) on the industrial skills acquired by Automobile Technology Education students in Lagos State. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The research focused on four key questions and hypotheses related to the effectiveness of SIWES in enhancing students' industrial skills. Data was collected using a self-developed structured questionnaire, which was validated by three experts, yielding a reliability coefficient of 0.82. The study population comprised 60 respondents, including 6 lecturers, 60 students, and 4 technicians in Lagos State. The study also examines the alignment of the SIWES curriculum with industry needs and proposes strategic approaches to enhance the program’s effectiveness. This includes curriculum adjustments, increased collaboration between educational institutions and the automobile industry, and additional support for students. The findings are expected to contribute significantly to skills development, educational reform, and policy formulation, ultimately fostering workforce preparedness and economic growth within the automobile sector in Lagos State. Descriptive statistics, such as frequency counts and charts, were used to present the demographic data of respondents, while inferential statistics, specifically t-tests, were employed to test the formulated hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The analysis revealed no significant differences in the opinions of lecturers and technicians on the industrial skills required by students through SIWES. Similarly, no significant differences were found between the opinions of professionals and technicians regarding the appropriate strategies for enhancing students' industrial skills through SIWES. The validity of the instrument was established through a preliminary administration to five experts in the field, while the reliability was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha, yielding a coefficient of 0.82. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. The research questions were analyzed using mean and standard deviation, while hypotheses were tested using an independent t-test at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of SIWES in enhancing the industrial skills of Automobile Technology Education students in Lagos State.