The Effectiveness of the One-Year Internship on the Mastery of Secretarial Skills in Nigerian Polytechnics
Keywords:
Impact, internship, industrial training, secretarial skills, Nigeria
Abstract
The one year internship is an integral part of the polytechnic system in Nigeria. At the completion of the two-year National Diploma programme, students are expected to go on twelve months of industrial training before returning, if qualified, for the Higher National Diploma programme. For long, the programme was universally acclaimed for providing students with opportunities for industrial experience. Questions have recently been raised, however, on the continued effectiveness of the programme, in view of the declining Information Technology (IT) openings for students and the non-supervised nature of the programme. Observations and anecdotal inferences have also suggested that the IT programme, in its present format, may not be ideal for the mastery of secretarial skills. The study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the Industrial Training Scheme on the mastery of secretarial skills. Out of a population of 370, a sample of 110 was drawn from second (final) year students of the National Diploma programme in Office Technology and Management (2012/2013 session) in five polytechnics in South-Western Nigeria. A combination of quasi-experimental research design and descriptive survey design was adopted. The students were assessed in core secretarial disciplines before their departure for Industrial Attachment and were re-assessed on their return. Descriptive statistics were used for the analysis of the results. The study found that IT has strong positive impact on the mastery of word processing, office management and human relations skills, and no significant impact on communication skills. Its impact on the mastery of shorthand and transcription was negative. The study also found significant relationship between the intensity of secretarial assignment undertaken during IT and mastery of secretarial skills. The study recommended a comprehensive review of the Industrial training scheme, and that greater consideration is given to the appropriateness of the industrial attachment organisations and assignments in admitting students into the Higher National Diploma programme.Article Views and Downloands Counter
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References
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Uguanyu, E.F. (2010). Challenges of students industrial works experience in library and information science in the ICT environment library. Available: http://www.faqs.org/periodicals.
Wodi, S.W. & Dokubo A. (2009). Appraisal of students industrial works experience scheme (SIWES) in five tertiary institutions in Rivers State Nigeria. European Journal of Social Science, 7(3), 42-51.
Zakaria, T. (2015). Industry internship skill acquisition. www.slideserve.com/chef/industry-Industry-Skill-Acquisition. Accessed on 28sth July, 2015
mastery of secretarial skills. Journal of Business Education, 2(1), 127-136.
Ademiluyi, L. F. & Agboola, J. O. (2012). Secretarial practice. Ibadan: Newdeal
Publications Nigeria Ltd.
Agboola, J.O. 2006). Research techniques. Ibadan: Newdeal Publicatios Ltd. Ajala, F. (2011).
Modern office technology and the secretary. Journal of Business
Education iv, 13-19.
Asapkerala (2015). Additional skill acquisition. Asapkerala.gov.in/index.php/internships.
Accessed on 25th July, 2015.
Asikadi, E. (2003). Restructuring SIWES to meet the national development plan in educational
system. National Conference of National association for Research development, Asaba; 2003 pp 1 & 2
Awe, F. A. & Adebisi, G. A. (20014). Students industrial works experience scheme: A
practical approach. Ibdan: Ejohn Publishers.
Charles Sturt University (2015). Factors affecting performance: How does the acquisition of
Skill affect performance? http://stages.of.skillaquisition.blogspot.com/2008/06/ cognitive-stages-of- skillacquisition.html, Accessed on 18h July, 2015.
Ezenwafor, J. & Okeke, A. U. (2011). Skills needed by confidential secretaries fo effective performance as perceived by top civil servants. African Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies. 4(1), 15-22.
Fayemi, L. O. (2012). The secretary of the future. Paper presented at a Workshop for Executive Assistants, Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, 20th August
Federal Polytechnic Nekede (n.d). Students industrial works experience handbook: Job specification/job inventory. Owerri: Federal Polytechnic Nekede
Gay, L. R. (1996). Educational Research, Columbus: Charles E. Meril Publishing Co. Inc.
Harrison, J. Odina, A. & Fosu, G. (1986), Secretarial duties (4th Ed) London: Pitman House.
Ibrahim-Ibe, I. G. (2012), Office practice and secretarial sciences. Lagos: Olatunji Publishers.
Ohakwe, S. N. (2004), Identification of information technology sub-skills needed by National Diploma secretarial studies graduates. Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.
Ohakwe, S. N. (2012). Manual skills in information technology era. Business Education Journal, II(1), 4-10.
Okoji, B. (2013). The Relevance of secretarial staff in an era of information technology. Business Education Book of Readings, 1(3), 141-150.
Osun State Polytechnic Iree (2014). Students Industrial Works Experience Handbook: Job Specification/Job Inventory. Iree: Ospoly Ventures Ltd.
Uguanyu, E.F. (2010). Challenges of students industrial works experience in library and information science in the ICT environment library. Available: http://www.faqs.org/periodicals.
Wodi, S.W. & Dokubo A. (2009). Appraisal of students industrial works experience scheme (SIWES) in five tertiary institutions in Rivers State Nigeria. European Journal of Social Science, 7(3), 42-51.
Zakaria, T. (2015). Industry internship skill acquisition. www.slideserve.com/chef/industry-Industry-Skill-Acquisition. Accessed on 28sth July, 2015
Published
2016-05-25
How to Cite
Agboola, J., & Ademiluyi, L. (2016). The Effectiveness of the One-Year Internship on the Mastery of Secretarial Skills in Nigerian Polytechnics. Africa Journal of Technical and Vocational Education and Training, 1(1), 130-139. https://doi.org/10.69641/afritvet.2016.1119
Section
INDUSTRIAL AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING
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