Abdul Rahman commends ITF, FULafia SIWES Directorate
|By: Paulinus Auta & Mary Ishaya
The Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Lafia (FULafia), Prof. Shehu Abdul Rahman, has commended the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and FULafia Directorate of the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) for the effective coordination of students’ industrial training.
The vice-chancellor gave the commendation when he declared open the SIWES Orientation Programme for 2021/2022 Batch B students of the University.
He said the University was interested in every aspect of the student’s academic development, noting that SIWES is a very important component of that development.
Abdul Rahaman advised the students to pay attention to what they would be taught during the orientation exercise, saying they would find the lessons important during their practical experiences.
He said the SIWES programme involved different stakeholders with their rules and regulations, urging the students to be guided by the rules and regulations of the coordinating organisations.
In her opening remarks, the SIWES Coordinator of FULafia, Dr Aisha A. Bello, stated that the orientation programme was crucial to the students industrial training experience, adding that it offers them opportunity to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and application.
The coordinator expressed her gratitude to the FULafia vice-chancellor for supporting the Directorate and to ITF for its role in coordinating the programme.
Delivering the keynote address, the Area Manager, ITF, Lafia, Phoebe Ochoche, said the Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is a practical training programme specifically “designed to expose and prepare students of tertiary institutions for the real work situation they are likely to meet after graduation.”
She said: “Today’s learning environment requires more of a practical approach to systematically develop knowledge, skills and attitude necessary for an individual to effectively perform any assigned task or job.”
Represented by the Head of Training, Mrs Na’anpoe Shwatshak, the Area Manager urged the participating students to take full advantage of the SIWES programme and acquaint themselves with the practical knowledge they may acquire to enable them to cope with the challenges of life after graduation.
The orientation programme included a presentations made by the ITF officials on the rudiments of the SIWES Programme, importance of SIWES to participating students and the roles of the students and University in the programme.