Page 1 of 9
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at
http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 03 Issue 06
May 2017
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 93
Level of Internees’ Participation in Internship Training
Programmes in Selected Universities in South Western
Nigeria
Akintaro O. S.
Teaching and Research Farms,
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology,
P. M. B 4000, Ogbomoso, Oyo-State, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
This study examined the level of participation
of internees in various internship training
programmes in South-western Nigeria.
Specifically, personal characteristics of
participants and level of participation of
respondents in internship programmes were
investigated. Multistage sampling technique
was adopted to select two hundred and sixty
seven internees from selected universities
including Ladoke Akintola University of
Technology (LAUTECH), Obafemi Awolowo
University (OAU), Federal University of
Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAB) and Ekiti State
University (EKSU). Data were collected and
analyzed using descriptive statistics. The
findings indicate that the modal age of internees
was between 21 and 25 years. More males
(60%) participated than females (40%). Only
9.7% of internees were married. Training on
poultry production was the most preferred
activity. Most participants when pooled
exhibited moderate participation in all
internship training activities. It was concluded
that activities towards enhanced participation of
internees were fairly observed and if improved
upon could influence positively further
participation of future internees.
Keywords: level of participation, internees
1. INTRODUCTION
Training forms the core of apprenticeships and
provides the backbone of content at technical
colleges, polytechnics and other institutions of
higher learning. In addition to the basic training
required for a trade, occupation or profession,
observers of the labour-market recognize the
need to continue training beyond initial
qualifications in order to maintain, upgrade and
update skills throughout working life.
Farinde et al (1997) revealed that youth
are known to contribute significantly to
agricultural and forestry activities such as land
clearing, cultivation, marketing, distribution,
and exploration. They also constitute the greater
percentage (over 50%) of formidable force for
community and national development as they
supply a substantial amount of labour (Ekong,
2003). A large proportion of these youths are
either in the tertiary institutions or secondary
schools receiving one training or the other in
various departments such as Agronomy,
Agricultural Economics, Animal Production,
Soil Science, Agricultural Extension and Home
Management. Auta and Arokoyo (1992)
reported that only participation of people who
are energetic, creative, innovative productive
and committed can bring about the expected
development in agriculture. It is observed that
young people tend to take special interest in
conservation and management of natural
resources and readily accept and promote sound
environmental practices more than adults
(Kalim, 1995).
Several studies done elsewhere have
indicated and concluded that a gap really exists
between the quality of graduates produced and
what the market demands. For this and other
reasons, training institutions and employers
have accepted the need to seek mitigatory steps
to bridge the gap. Among other steps,
institutions of learning have introduced
internship programmes also referred to as field
attachment in some of their degree and non- degree programmes. There has also been the
realisation that imparting the relevant practical
Page 2 of 9
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at
http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 03 Issue 06
May 2017
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 94
skills is a partnership between the training
institution and the prospective employers
through student internships.
The objectives of the study are to
identify the personal characteristics of
internees;
examine the level of participation
of internees in the internship
training programmes.
2. METHODOLOGY
The study was conducted in Ladoke Akintola
University of Technology (LAUTECH) in
Ogbomoso North Local Government Area of
Oyo State, Obafemi Awolowo University
(OAU) in Ife Central Local Government Area
of Osun State, University of Ado Ekiti (EKSU)
situated in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State as well as
federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta
(FUNAAB), Ogun State. Ogbomoso in Oyo
State lies on 5
0 101North of the equator and 40
101 East of the Greenwich Meridian and it is
gateway to the Northern part of Nigeria from
the South; it is located between Ilorin and Oyo.
The climatic condition is influenced by two
major winds which are hot and dry wind. The
type of crops grown well in the area
(Ogbomoso) include Yam, Cassava, Potatoes
and grain crops like millet, maize, guinea corn.
Ile – Ife in Osun State lies on 7
0
8
1North of the equator and 40 5
1 East of the
Greenwich meridian. Ile-Ife is an ancient
Yoruba city in South-western Nigeria and it is
located in present day Osun State. Ile-Ife has a
moderate rainfall of 2000 - 3000mm per year. It
has high temperature of about 270C and high
relative humidity of over 90% and it has a long
period of raining season between 6-8 months
and 3-4 month of dry seasons. Heavy rainfall in
Ile-Ife makes it conducive in the cultivation of
tree crops like cocoa, oil palm, kolanut and
food crops like yam, cassava and maize.
Ado Ekiti is the capital of Ekiti State in
south-weste Nigeria. Ado Ekiti is inhabited by
Yoruba- speaking people and is blessed with
many institutions including University of Ado
Ekiti and a Federal Polytechnic. It has a
moderate rainfall of 2600 - 3500mm per year. It
has high temperature of about 260C and high
relative humidity of over 72% and it has a long
period of raining season between 6-8 months
and 3-4 month of dry seasons. Heavy rainfall in
the area gives rise to the growth of tree crops
like cocoa, oil palm, kolanut and food crops
like yam, cassava and maize.
The population of the study comprised
2012/2013 internees (2,564) that participated in
the internship training programme in the
selected South-west Universities namely
(LAUTECH, OAU, FUNAAB and EKSU).
Multistage sampling procedure was
employed for this study. The first stage
involved random selection of two federal and
two state universities in south-west of Nigeria.
The next stage involved was purposive
selection of the Faculty of Agriculture from
each of the selected institutions. All the
Departments that are participating in the
internship training programme in each of the
Faculties of Agriculture from the selected
institutions were considered. Then, fifteen
percent of all the students in each of the
departments from LAUTECH, OAU, EKSU
and FUNAAB were chosen. Proportional
sampling procedure was adopted to randomly
select 15% of the internees from the selected
Universities. List of the students were collected
from the SIWES coordinator on departmental
basis and 15% were sampled per department to
ensure wide coverage of 269 respondents
(Internees) for this study.
Structured questionnaire was used to
collect information related to internees’ level of
performance in internship training. The
instrument was examined by many scholars and
researchers in order to validate its content.
Then, it was pretested in a university not
included in the study. This was to test
reliability.
Descriptive statistics such as frequency
counts, means, percentages, charts were
employed in the presentation of some data
values. The mean and standard deviation was
obtained by summing up all the data values or
scores and dividing by the total number of data
value or scores (N). This was computed by
using the following formula:
N
X
Mean X
__
Where
X
= sum of all the data
value, N = Number of data values
Page 3 of 9
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at
http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 03 Issue 06
May 2017
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 95
Standard deviation of ungrouped data values or
single scores was calculated using the formula
1
X
S
2
N
S = the sample standard deviation;
2
X
= Sum of squares of deviation
of the scores from the mean.
N – 1 = Degree of freedom (df)
Where X = raw scores
__
X - The mean of the raw scores
S – Standard deviation of the raw
scores
The dependent variable of the study is
the level of participation of internees in the
internship training programmes across
universities in the southwest, Nigeria. This was
measured by asking internees to respond to
thirteen standardized attitudinal statements as
regards quality, organization and efficiency of
all elements of training received. The responses
were recorded using five Likert scale of
strongly agree (5), Agree (4), Undecided (3)
disagree (2), and strongly disagree (1). The
mean and Standard Deviation of the distribution
was calculated. All weighted mean scores
below mean (40.1) was categorized as low
participation , those weighted mean score
between x and x + IS.D are classified as
moderate while all weighted mean scores
above x + IS.D are classified high level of
participation.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Table 1 indicated that the mean age of
internees were between 21 and 25 years in
LAUTECH (67.4%), OAU (70.6%), FUNAAB
(81.8%) and EKSU (88.5%). The mean age of
most of the respondents was 25years in
LAUTECH while the mean age of internees
from OAU, FUNAAB and EKSU was 24years.
The mean age of the respondents is an
indication that they are youths (Ajayi, 2006).
They are still undergoing learning processes
which will invariable fashion out their future
job attainment. This stage in life of the youths
is very crucial as it connotes period when they
are proactively wishing to satisfy the curiosity
of their minds which will definitely affect their
future attainment and may have either direct or
indirect influence in the home and society at
large since they are future generation of any
community. The result is in line with the
previous finding by Ojediran (1997) which
claimed that for a country to attain economic
stability, the agricultural sector must be vibrant
and the youths must be encouraged to imbibe
farming as a noble profession. Youths have the
potential to overcome some of the major
constraints to expanding animal production in
developing countries such as pest control,
feeding, genetic improvement and protection
against predators because they are often more
open to new ideas and practices than adult
farmers. They play an important role in
awareness on different subjects (Ijere, 1992).
Institutions
Age range of internees
Less than 20 21-25 26-30 31-35 TOTAL
LAUTECH 5 66 24 3 98
OAU 2 48 17 1 68
FUNAAB 4 63 10 0 77
EKSU 0 23 3 0 26
TOTAL 11 200 54 4 269
Table 1: Age of the respondents
