The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has issued a stern warning to organisations and employers across Nigeria against rejecting students seeking placement for their mandatory Industrial Training (IT) programmes.
ITF Area Manager in Bauchi, Dr. Ashore Paul, gave the warning during the orientation exercise for prospective IT students of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi. Represented by Mrs. Nanzem Yilshuut, Head of Training at the ITF Bauchi Area Office, Paul stressed that the act establishing the Fund makes it compulsory for organisations to accept students for industrial attachment.
“Any employer or organisation that refuses to engage students on SIWES or IT exercises is breaching the law and risks sanctions,” Paul said.
He urged the students to abide by the rules and regulations of their host organisations, participate fully, and display discipline during the period of their attachment. “When these students come back, we expect to see a difference,” he added. “They should have learned something new and be able to put into practice what they have been taught in school.”
Paul also assured that the ITF would conduct regular supervision to ensure students are properly engaged and that the training they receive aligns with their courses of study.
The Rector of the Polytechnic, Sani Usman, emphasised the significance of industrial attachment in equipping students with real-world skills. “Our students are given industrial experience early to reinforce that they are to become skilled men and women,” he said. He added that proper supervision would ensure students perform their tasks effectively and are not exploited by employers.
Usman revealed that about 3,000 students across all departments of the institution are participating in this year’s Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES).
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