The Effectiveness of the One-Year Internship on the Mastery of Secretarial Skills in Nigerian Polytechnics

  • Jacob Olusola Agboola Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Osun State, Nigeria
  • Lawrence Femi Ademiluyi Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Osun State, Nigeria
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.

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Author Biographies

Jacob Olusola Agboola, Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Osun State, Nigeria
PHd
Lawrence Femi Ademiluyi, Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Osun State, Nigeria
pHd

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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. Retrieved from https://afritvet.org/index.php/Afritvet/article/view/19
Section
INDUSTRIAL AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING