the activities carried out during the siwes period

1

CHAPTER ONE

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The dignity of humans (person) is tied very closely to work. And when we

work well, when we recognize the dignity of other human beings as they work, we

essentially elevate the ordinary to the level of the engagement of the divine.

In the course of the industrial development of revolution there was tend to be

the elevation of the material above the man. And this created much tension in

Europe as such philosophical re-examination of the relationship between the work

and the man was considered. This struggle for the honour of labour has essentially

been rooted in the fact that man was designed to work for his goodness: The subject

of work was man; man was not the object of work.

My argument therefore is to increase or grow our skills and value such that

the coincidence of our values and our skills elevate us to the point where we are not

subject to capital but where we keep capital under subjugation and use capital to

improve the quality of life we live.

It is in the quest of achieving this goal and objective that the Student

Industrial Work Experience Scheme was inaugurated to create an avenue for

students in tertiary institution to acquire practical industrial exposure in their

respective discipline during the course of their studies. Such exposure, as was

envisaged would prepare students to fit, more readily into the industrial work

environment after their academic career.

Take for example the I T (Information Technology) world where I belong,

there be many who after their four or five years in school (University) come out to

the society to be completely computer novice as against those who do not even see

the four walls of a university but got an informal education in a computer centre just

because there was an exposure to the practicality of the job in the outside (the

competitive market world) world. Nevertheless I embarked on an extensive training

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2

and relationship during my industrial attachment period at the Information

Communication Technology Centre (ICTC) Uniport.

1.2 HISTORY OF THE INFORMATION COMMUNICATION AND

TECHNOLOGY CENTRE (I.C.T.C)

The Information Communication and Technology Centre started in

the mid 1990s as NUNET. It was located in the CORDEC building

and was made up of 2 departments Administrative and M.I.S.

(Management information System)-cramped in only four 11 by 12

rooms and the equipment being used was low grade even by those

standards. Coupled with that, staff technical man-power and know-

how was very poor. By late 2000, the University Administration

recognized the need for an up-to-date internet network and sourced

for funds for the project.

Shell and the MacAuthur Foundation offered to put up a befitting

Internet centre for the school. The Information Communication and

Technology Centre ultramodern complex was commissioned by the

then Group managing Director of N.N.P.C. Engr. Funso Kupolokun

on 14th April, 2004. The centre was constructed and equipment

supplied by Shell Petroleum Development Company (S.P.D.C.) under

the Shell/N.N.P.C./Agip/ELF Joint venture and in collaboration with

the MacAuthur Foundation.

With state-of-the-art equipment, in terms of the construction and

furnishing of the building and supply of computers, the dire need for

Internet access could not be over emphasized. Then the African

Virtual University (AVU), a group committed to providing high-

quality and cheap Internet access for African Universities, came to

their aid due to their partnership with the MacAuthur Foundation.




3

The AVU-provided Internet access is via satellite through IntelSat

with a bandwidth of 3.5MB uplink and 5MB downlink.

Since 2004, the University has steadily improved its services to staff,

students and the general public with a mandate to improve the

computer literacy level of the University community. Currently,

various training programs are run in response to needs by students

and staff alike. Programs like the basic Microsoft office (which

includes word, power Point, access, excel, etc) to Matlab and

AutoCAD for engineering sciences, S.P.S.S. for the statistically

inclined to COMPTIA A+ for the hardware buffs and BASIC

programming. The centre has about 24 full time employees and

about 5-9 part-time workers depending on the period and training

offered.

Perhaps it was due to its superior facilities and technical know-how

that the Nigerian Communication Commission and digital Bridge

Institute, at a recently organized training at the Centre in December,

2006, declared it the best I.C.T. centre in the country.

Currently, the contract for the linking of all academic buildings on

the university campus to the internet via cables has been completed.




4

ChairmanSteering commity

director

Principal AssistantRegistrar

FinanceOfficer

Technical Unit

Trianing Administrative Staff icafe

M. I. S.

Software Support

Hardware Support

Evaluation

Instructors

Course Development

Undergraduat Cafe

Postgraduate

Cafe

Staff Record

Students Records Quality

Control

Fig. 1 I.C.T.C. ORGANISATIONAL CHART




5

1.4 VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS

1.4.1 Technical Support Unit

The technical support unit is responsible for making sure that all

matters related to hardware components of the centre are in good

working condition. Their duties also include configuring and testing

software for users. Hence, the unit handles hardware and software

matters as it relates to the smooth running of the centre.

1.4.2 Training

This unit is responsible for all training of staff, students and

companies wishing to use the facility to train their staff. The unit

organizes training based on the need of students and staff or a

specific organization. Instructors are mainly in-house, professionals

of international repute are invited to fill in. the department

comprises of course development, evaluation and instructors.

1.4.3 M.I.S.

The M.I.S. Means Management Information System. This

department is mainly concerned with staff and student records. It is

one of the oldest departments of the centre and as a result, one of

the slowest in adapting to radical changes. Currently, it is still in the

computerization of students and staff records dating from the

inception of the university till date. As a result, a lot of its work is

still in what we describe as analog phase. That is their records are

still being traced through physical files, and folders heaped in

stacks.




6

1.4.4 iCafe

This is the most popular department. It is as name an Internet cyber

café with state-of –the art facilities for surfing the World Wide Web

and research. This is also the most active in terms of versatility of

work experience and revenue generation for the centre.

1.4.5 Administration

The Administrative unit is responsible for coordinating the activities

of all the various department. It ensure that all departments

function in oneness with the others while it also administers the

Centre budget from year to year and is answerable to the Senate of

the University of Port Harcourt through the director.




7

CHAPTER TWO

2. THE ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT DURING THE I.T. PERIOD

The SIWES period which normally is supposed to be for 24 weeks

was cut short of two weeks due to the end of year school break and

as such I spent 22 weeks in the Information Communication

Technology centre (ICTC) as my training period, nonetheless several

experience and skills were acquired during this period and this

involves the basics of computer (i.e Microsoft office), Essential of

Networking which is on the hardware area and Web designing for

the software coding. And on these areas I will briefly comment on.

2.1 COMPUTER BASICS

Considering the computer bases I was brushed through the

Windows 2000 at a glance. This is very important because several

applications that work on the system (computer) has to do with

windows, I will look at it under the following areas.

A. Components and selection method.

B. Starting the use of windows 2000.

C. Accessories.

D. Explorer, my computer.

A. Components and Selection Method

Considering the Windows 2000 desktop (i.e the background screen),

It looks cluttered and almost inviting, this gives the least amount of

hassle and without a detailed technical knowledge of Windows 2000

one can work with the applications (word processors, databases etc)




8

it contains. The following are some of the of Windows 2000

properties.

i. The Start Icon: The start icon provides a launch point for all the

applications, such as word-processor, spreadsheet, databases etc.

clicking, on the start icon displays a list of options. The programs

that can be used, such as Microsoft word will be displayed in a sub-

list if the mouse pointer is moved to program.

ii. The Task bar: the task bar (normally positioned at the bottom of

the screen) provides a constant view of applications that are running

on the system and provides an easy way to switch between them.

The Taskbar provides a holding place for displaying icons of all

applications that are running. As more programs are opened the

taskbar will automatically resize its icons.

iii. My Computer: All of the main aspects concerning configuration

and access to the computer resources, such as the hard disk and

diskettes (floppy disk) are contained within the My Computer group.

Double clicking on any drive within this group will display window

containing further information about the selected item.

iv. Title Bar: Title bar is displayed along the top of almost all

programs, applications. Folder and dialog box windows. It is used to

display information such as the name of the application (or folder)

and the document you are working on.

v. The Scroll Bars: When a program or folder is needed to display

information within a window scroll bars are used, they are displayed

along the bottom and right side of the window. Using the scroll bars

makes it possible to move to any position within the document.

Vi. Maximize, Minimize, Restore and Close Buttons: The close,

Maximize, minimize and restore button are located at the top right

hand corner of every window when you click on the maximize button




9

the window expands to cover the entire screen. The minimize button

reduces the windows to an icon within the task bar and Restore

button returns the window to its original size. The close button is

used to close a program window or dialog box.

vii. Dialog Box: Dialog boxes are to display information and allow

easy selection of options. A simple dialog box may prompt you for a

YES or NO response when performing a task such as saving

changes, when closing a file, How ever when performing complex

selections such as choice of font or character size Windows 2000

uses multiple boxes. There are other different boxes, the text box

which allows the input of text into dialog boxes, the list boxes which

presents a pick list of entries on screen that can be selected by

clicking the mouse over the required entry. The drop-down list

boxes- This gives a downward display on the right or left with list of

options to chosen. Last are the check boxes and radio boxes.

B. Starting the Use of the Windows 2000

As I have said before the start menu contains the various categories

where the applications and work are stored, but to get to the various

sub-categories we will need to position the mouse over the category

to automatically open the next sub-category. These are some of the

groups in the start menu viz:

i. Start icon-Programs: The programs groups have access to all

sub-groups that is created or which may be created. You can

automatically open the applications that have a right pointing arrow

next to them positioning your mouse on the arrows displaying more

programs.




10

ii. Start Icon Recent document: The document group with in the

start menu contains a list of recent open file. Selecting any

document will automatically open the file.

iii. Start Icon-Setting: Here one can directly access the control

panel and printer folders also to access the core system

configuration utilities, This way is particularly useful when an

application is already in the background and you want to make

quick change.

C. Accessories

Under the Accessories we have the WordPad which is a cut-down

version of the Microsoft word, this is because WordPad does not

support many of the advanced features found within Word. Other

accessories are the Paint that offers the services of manipulating

graphics and pictures and store them in a Paint format. Other

accessories include the calculator, clock.

D. Explorer, My Computer

My Computer makes it possible in accessing the hard disk of the

system, the O.S (Operating System) has a way of using a system of

drive letters to serve as logical pointers to the different physical

storage facilities you access called drives e.g drive D, E, F, G and

even H as the case may be from which it is possible to access all files

in it.

Combination of different files in one place on each drive for the

purpose of organization is called the folder (also referred to as

directories). A system of hierarchical folders within folders that

represent the hard disk are often referred to as the directory tree,

in the same way the very top of the file system is know as he root

directory.




11

Both the Explorer and the My Computer objects allow you to

expose your files stored on disk. The Explorer window displays

folders in the left-hand pane and the content of the folders in the

right-hand pane. The Explorer is not installed on the windows 2000

desktop by default, but My Computer on the other hand, which is by

default installed as an icon on the desktop opens a new window

displaying the contents of a folder.

2.2 NETWORKING ESSENTIALS

Before servers can provide services to clients, communication

between the two computers must be established. Beyond the cables

connecting the computers together, numerous processes operate

behind the scene to keep things running smoothly. For these

processes to operate smoothly in diverse networking environment

the computing community has to settle on several standards and

specification that defines the interaction and interrelation of the

various component of the network architecture, and this begins with

the Open System Interconnection (OSI) reference model among

others.

2.2.1 THE OSI REFERENCE MODEL

This model was founded or released in 1984 by the international

standard organization (ISO). The model provides useful structure for

defining and describing the various processes underlying network

communication. This OSI model organizes communication protocols

into seven levels or layers which take care of different level of

communications. They are illustrated as follows.




12

Application

Presentation

Session

Transport

Network

Data Link

Physical

Network medium

Fig.2.1

THE OSI MODEL OF SEVEN LAYERS

Communication Among Layers: When information is passed within

the OSI each protocol layer adds it’s own information for the

message being sent. This information takes the form of a header

added to the beginning of the original message. The sending always

goes down the OSI model while the receiving is the opposite. In

summary information between layers is passed along vertically while

information between computers is

essentially horizontal.




13

Fig, 2.2 Interrelationship between different systems

With different Operating System

Fig. 2.3

A. OSI Physical Layer

This layer does not defined the media to be used, but is concerned

with all aspects of transmitting and receiving of data on the net work

i.e. it does not say what the cable should be like. This layer defines

several characteristics of the physical network which include the

following.

Physical structure network (Physical topology)

Specification for using the medium (out the medium itself)

Bit transmission, encoding and timing

Component that operates at this layer is called Repeaters.

Repeaters don’t filter or interpret signals instead it repeats

(regenerates) a signals to avoid attenuation which is the loss of a

signal strength




14

Fig. 2.4

B. OSI Date Link Layer Concept

Real messages consist not of single bits but of meaningful groups of

bits. The Data Link layer receives messages called Frames from

upper layers. A primary function of the Data Link layer is to

disassemble these frames into bits for transmission and then to

reconstruct the frames from bits received. It has other functions as

well such as addressing, error control and flow control for a single

link between network devices. To achieve these tasks the Data Link

is sub-divided into two sub-layers. The Media Access Control (MAC)

which takes care of the means by which multiple derives share the

same media channel for transmission of information, it also provides

addressing information for communication between network devices.

The second is the Logical Link Control (LLC) this maintains links

between communicating devices.

Error and flow control at Data Link Layer: Flow Control

determines the amount of data that can be transmitted at

given time period. Flow control prevents the transmitting

device from over whelming the receiver. While Error Control

detects errors in received frame and request, retransmission of

frame. Later I found out that error control occurs in other

layers but that deal with at the Data Link layer consist of




15

conformation that the receiving computer gets all that tthe

sending computer transmitted.

A device called a Bridge operates at this level, it is a connectively

devices can filter unwanted signal for a particular network segment

with the help of the physical addresses the frames carry with them

there by avoiding flooding.

Fig.2.5

C. OSI Network Layer

The Network layer handles communication with device on logically

separated network that are connected to form inter-network, since

inter-networks can be large, the Network layer utilizes routing

algorithm that guards packets from their source to their destination




16

network. The Network layer manages the process of addressing and

delivering packet to inter-networks.

The Network layer unlike the Data Link layer uses logical network

address to rout packets to specific networks on an inter-network,

and these logical network addresses are assigned during

configuration of the network, this means that as a network engineer

each network address must be unique on a given inter-network.

Another addressing done by the network layer well know addressing

e.g service addressing.

The complexity and versatility of the network layer addressing

gives rise to two different communication modes more sophisticated

in passing messages across the networks and both are recognized by

OSI. These are Connection-oriented mode, and connectionless

oriented modes. For the Network layer, it has the Router as its

connectivity device. The information available at the network layer

gives a router for more sophisticated packet delivery capabilities

than the Bridge. A Bridge separates LAN(Large Area Network)

segment without changing the LAN address but the Router deals

with not just the LAN segment but with inter-networks.




17

Fig.2.6

D. OSI Transport Layer

The transport layer interacts with the network layer’s connection-

oriented and connectionless service and provides some of the

essential control features some of these function are:

Repackaging: When large messages are divided into segments

for transmission, this Transport layer does the work of

repackaging the segments when they are received before

reassembling the original message.

Error control: When segment are lost during transmission or

when segment have duplicate segment ID’s, the Transport




18

layer will initiate error signal. It also detects corrupted

segments.

E. OSI Session Layer

This layer manages dialog between two computers by establishing,

managing, and terminating communication and this dialogs can

take three forms:

Simplex dialogs: These dialogs are responsible for one way

data transfer only, an example is the fire alarm.

Half-duplex dialog: these dialogs are two-way data transfer in

which the data flows in only one direction at a time by CB

radio greater

Full duplex dialog: This third type of dialog allows two-way

simultaneous data transfer by providing each device with a

separate communication channel.

F. OSI Presentation Layer

The presentation layer deals with the syntax or grammatical rules

needed for communication between two computers. The presentation

layer converts system. Specific data from the Application layer into a

common machine independent format that supports a more

standardized design for lower protocol layer.

G. OSI Application Layer

This layer is concerned with providing services on the network which

including file service, print services, application services, such as

data services, managing services and directory services among

others.




19

2.2.2 TRANSMISSION MEDIA

The TM (Transmission medium) makes possible the transmission of

electronic signals which can be either digital or analog from one

computer to another. These electronic signals express data value in

the form of binary (on/off) impulse which are the basis of all

computer information. Then signals are transmitted between devices

on the network using some form of transmission media (cables or

radio) which have the following attributes:

Cost

Installation

Bandwidth

Band usage (base band or broad band)

Attenuation

Immunity from electromagnetic interference (EMI)

2.2.3 CABLE MEDIA

Under the cable media we will looked at the following cables which

are

Coaxial cable

Twisted-pair cable

Fabric-optic cable

1. The coaxial cable: which is the first types of cables used in

LAW as shown in figure (2.7) it got its name from the fact that two

conductors share a common axis

example of which is the television

cable and it has the following

components. Fig.2.7




20

Coaxial cable

i. A center conductor

ii. An outer conductor

iii. A insulator layer

iv. A plastic encasement

2. Twisted cable: Twisted-pair cable consists of two strands of

copper wire twisted together. The twisting reduces the sensitivity of

the cable to EMI and also reduces the tendency to radiate radio

frequency noise that interfere with a near by cable and electronic

component. Two types of twisted-pair are used in LANs shielded and

the unshielded twisted cable

Fig.2.8 Shielded twisted cable

3. Fiber-Optic Cable: Fiber optic cable among others is the ideal

cable for data transmission. Not only does this types of cable

accommodate extremely high bandwidth, but also present no

problems with EMI and is durable. The

cable runs as long as several kilometers

but has a disadvantage of high cost and

installation difficulties.

Fig. 2.9 Optical fibre cable.




21

2.2.4 NETWORK TOPOLOGY

Topology refers to the way in which the computers are connected in

a network. Each topology is suited for specific tasks and has its own

merits and demerits. The choice of topology is dependent on the

number and type of equipments being used and the cost. There are

5 major network topologies viz:

Bus

Ring

Mesh

Star

Hybrid

i. Bus topology: A Bus network is set up by connecting all of the

nodes to a single line, and the nodes connect only to the bus.

However, most bus networks later began to use a specialized central

node called a Hub to make the practice of attaching nodes easier.

The major demerit is that any break in the cable will cause all nodes

on the cable to loose connection to the network.

ii. Ring topology: This is a connection of computer in series next to

next. If a signal intended for a system is passed, each system in the

series bounces it along in sequence until it reaches the destination.

An advantage of the ring is that the number of transmitters and

receivers can be cut in half.

iii. Mesh topology: In a mesh topology, there are at least two

nodded with two or more paths between them. This is similar in

some ways to a grid network. In a true mesh topology every node has

a connection to every other node in the network. A major demerit of

the mesh is that alternate connections or routes exist between

nodes incase one goes down.




22

iv. Star topology: The star topology reduces the chance of network

failure by connecting all of the systems to a central node. When

applied to a bus-based network, this central hub rebroadcasts all

transmissions received from any peripheral node to all peripheral

nodded o the network, sometimes including the originating node.

v. Hybrid topology: Hybrid network uses a combination of two or

more topologies in such a way that the resulting network does not

have one of the standard forms. For example, a star networks

connected together with bus topology exhibit hybrid network

topology

Mesh

Bus Ring

Star

2.2.5 NETWORK ADAPTER CARD

A network adapter card links the PC with the network cabling

system. The network adapter card fits into one of the PCs expansion

slots. The card has one or more user accessible parts to which the

network cabling medium is connected, it plays a very vital role in the

network which is to prepare and send data from a computer to the

transmission medium this data when in side the computer, travels

along bus of a computer in parallel form. The network card must




23

convert these signals coming into it the computer to be in the

parallel form so as to be understood by the computer in the same

way the card must convert the parallel signal in the computer to a

serial signal that can travel across transmission medium.

Installation Network Adapter Card.

This installation procedure for the Network adapter card will depend

on the card itself and the operating system of the computer or the

hardware platform but the steps are basically the same. To install

the card:

i. Physically plug the card into the expansion slot configuring

Jumper and Dip switches as required.

ii. Install the network k adaptor card driver

iii. Configure the OS so that the network adaptor card doesn’t

Conflict with other device.

iv. Bind the network adaptor to the required protocol.

v. Attach the network cable to the card.

2.3 WEB DESIGNING (SOFTWARE CODING)

The Internet is a very big thing these days and every one wants to

have a presence on it. It is an avenue for people can buy, sell and

even advertise themselves. Today we have e-commerce, e-banking, e-

learning etc. But these Web pages have what is called source codes

where the underground design and coding is done. Viewers and

visitors to the Web site only see the finished work of the design.

What is a design? In its simplest sense means how a Web page

looks. The organization, the easy navigation, the number of words




24

and every thing else on the page contributes to the overall design of

the page. A well designed page is one that is easy to look at, inviting,

and does not bother the viewer. Nevertheless good design is

incredibly tough. The designer must design the page before creating

it (ie having a plan).

The inner working of the Web page is created using HTML(Hypertext

Make -up Language). This is a language that is used to describe

what will be displayed on screen. The HTML itself is not actually

shown on screen, but talks to the computer behind the scene. The

computer changes the HTML into human language and image, and

displays it on screen.

2.3.1 THE ELEMENTS OF A PAGE

A Web page is made of many difference parts connected and

organized into a complete product that the visitor can browse

through. Let us look at two parts for now

The Header : The first major part of a Web page is the header.

Although the Header is important it has little presence on the page.

It consist of the title bar of the Web page shown at the top of the

browser and its icon in the task bar of the Windows

The Body: The body is the main paart of the HTML document,

within the body, every thing that appears on the screen can be

found. The elements within the body are Heading, Forms, Tables

and multimedia also these elements are all displayed on the Web

page by soft ware development called coding using Hypertext

Multimedia Language (HTML). Below are the summaries of different

tools of HTML called tags and their functions.




25

<B> </B>This tag makes the affected text bold and darker, see <STRONG> </STRONG>.

<BGSOUND> </BGSOUND>This tag allows you to play background sound files in Internet Explorer.

<BLOCKQUOTE> </BLOCKQUOTE>This tag sets a section of text away from the margins.You can nest these tags to indent even further.

<BODY> </BODY>This tag encloses the entire actual text and code that appears on the screen in the HTML document.

<BR>This tag adds a line break to the page

<DD> </DD>This tag defines an item within a defini-tion list.

<DIV> </DIV>This tag allows you to align more than one paragraph at a time.

<DL> </DL>This tag sets up a definition list.

<DT> </DT>This tag creates an item that will be defined within a definition list.

<EM> </EM>This tag makes the affected text italicized, or tilted slightly, see <I> </I>.

<EMBED> </EMBED>This tag allows the embedding of other types of files directly into a page, includ-ing both sound and video.

<FONT> </FONT>This tag allows you to adjust the font size, face, and color

<FORM> </FORM>




26

This tag tells the browser that a form is about to be created, and also explains what action the form will take.

<HEAD> </HEAD>This tag contains information that is embedded in the page but does not actu-ally appear on screen.The most important item in the header is the title, which appears on the browser icon.

<HTML> </HTML>This tag encloses the entire HTML por-tion of your Web page; in most cases it is the first tag in the source.

<I> </I>This tag makes the affected text italicized, or tilted slightly, see <EM></EM>.

<IMG>This tag tells the browser that there is an image to be displayed.The SRC attribute is required

<INPUT>This tag tells the browser which control should be created within the form and what it should do.

<LI> </LI>This tag defines the items within a list.

<LINK>This tag allows you to add externally linked style sheets to your page.

<OL> </OL>This tag sets up an ordered (numbered) list.

<P> </P>This tag begins a new paragraph.

<S> </S>This tag draws a strikethrough line through the affected text.

<SPAN> </SPAN>




27

This tag allows you to add style sheets to as much text as necessary.

<STRONG> </STRONG>This tag makes the affected text bold and darker, see <B> </B>.

<STYLE> </STYLE>This tag is used to define the style sheets for the entire Web page in the <HEAD> section.

<TABLE> </TABLE>This tag encloses the entire table and allows the browser to display the following row and column tags.

<TD>This tag creates a new data cell in a table.

<TEXTAREA> </TEXTAREA>This tag creates an elongated text box that allows the user to enter in lengthy comments.

<TITLE> </TITLE>This tag defines the title of the page, and places that title in the name of thebrowser at the top of the screen and also in the system taskbar.

<TR>This tag creates a new row in a table.

<U> </U>This tag underlines the affected text.

<UL> </UL>This tag sets up an unordered (bullet point) list.

<TH> This tag creates a new header tag in a table.




28

CHAPTER THREE

3.1 POWER PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED DURING IT PERIOD

Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and its attendant power

issues have overwhelming effects on ICT firms.

These firms run their machines and devices for 24 hours daily,

throughout the year. These machines need powering and the

epileptic power supply by PHCN puts a snag to this.

Huge amounts are incurred as bills for the running maintenance of

the private plants in order to ensure all-round service delivery.

Unfortunately the ICTC falls into the category of such firms, worst

still the Center does not have a power plant but depends on the

large UPS for power when there is no power supply supply from

PHCN. This in turns causes frequent break down of the UPS and

conquently hinder the operation of the Centre.

PERSONNEL MATTERS

Information and Communication technology is a rapidly changing

and advancing area of technology because of the demands for real-

time and prompt information.

In order to meet up with these ever changing trends in this sector,

the personnel who are deployed to manage the network and

attendant services have to be adequately and regularly trained in

order for them to keep up with the latest trends of service provision.

This issue of training was really lacking as it has to do with the IT

students and in some cases absent.

Also, the IT students are not motivated as there is no take home pay

and incentives to encourage them. A poorly motivated staff cannot




29

deliver to the optimum and this in the long run affects the nature of

service rendered.

3.2 RELEVANCE OF SIWES PROGRAM

The relevance of the program can be itemized as follows,

1. It provides a platform that enables Nigerian Undergraduates

to acquire skills and relevant Experiences while in the

course of their study.

2. It serves to arm the undergraduates with the attitude and

methods to work, thus helping them integrate quickly in to

the larger market after the course of study.

3. It gives students the opportunity to put their theoretical

knowledge to practice, thus bridging the gap between the

University and the market world.

4. The student, after the experience, is able to fit the society as

the students mind will have been settled on the area where

he/she can be more useful to the society.

5. The program helps the economy of the nation as the quality

of graduates entering the market is highly improved not

only by the University but also by the Industrial Training.

6. It exposes the student to contacts in the industry, thus

allowing for ease of flow of ideas between the student and

his superiors




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CHAPTER FOUR

4.1 GENERAL APPRAISAL

The importance of Industrial Training cannot be over emphasized

and should be promoted seriously. Although the scheme is a

welcome one, it is worthy of note that it was not entirely devoid of

certain bottle-necks.

Issues like placement, stipend and welfare and commitment to

imparting the practical knowledge where not always easy to come by

as the student has to be very forceful in his bid to make sure that he

is not left in the dark.

4.2 WAYS OF IMPROVING THE SCHEME.

I would suggest that both the university and the SIWES get actively

involved in the issue of placement as this is not always easy to come

by.

Also a reasonable minimum stipend and welfare package should be

enforced on the companies as allowance to the trainees as this will

serve to cater for transportation to and fro the office and lunch so

that the trainees don’t get discouraged.

As concerns the issue of placement for undergraduates, I agree that

there has been an increase in the number of institutions as well as

students who seek placement compared to when the scheme started.

I would suggest that the Federal Government and concern bodies

wade into the matter, by seeing to it that Technical Skills Acquisition

Centers for Undergraduates are built in every State of the Federation

and it will serve the purpose of accepting Undergraduates who are

experiencing difficulty securing placement in Companies.




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This will help lessen the pains Students have to go through while

ensuring that rigorous training procedures are upheld for students

not in Companies.

4.3 ADVICE TO FUTURE PARTICIPANTS

The Office environment is not like the campus where a lot of things

are at the disposal of the student and thus taken for granted.

Therefore, if the student will have a rewarding experience.

- Then he/she should have a drive to learn and be forceful

about it.

- The student should be very observant, attentive, dutiful and

obedient as he/she unwittingly sells his/her personality

and strength to the outside world.

- The student should not shy away from practical and time-

taking jobs as they serve to give the necessary skill.

- He/she should be very inquisitive and be submissive.

- The student should dress appropriately, be punctual, and

also a good listener to orders.

4.4 ADVICE TO SIWES MANAGERS

The Managers are really doing a good job of co-coordinating the

program.

They can enhance it by seeing to it that students under the scheme

get to submit monthly reports to designated areas where they would

be drilled based on the content of the report. This will make the

students to be much involved and thus imbibe the tenets of the

training.




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The Managers should see to it that Companies which refuse

acceptance of Students and who refuse to pay the minimum

allowance are penalized.




the activities carried out during the siwes period

Documents