ENGR. LAWRENCE AKINLOLU OLUWAGBEMI (MNSE)
Brief History and Mandate of Industrial Training Unit, FUTA
The Federal University of Technology, Akure came into existence in 1981. It was started with three (3) foundation schools
(a) School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology
(b) School of Earth and Mineral Sciences
(c) School of pure and Applied Sciences
In 1988, the University Industrial Training Unit was established under the office of the Vice-Chancellor in accordance with the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Industrial Training Fund, ITF guidelines.
The mandate of the unit is to coordinate students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) for six months in the fourth year of the undergraduate programme for regular University Students and the apprenticeship scheme to provide technical training for young school leavers, who are otherwise not qualified for regular University admission. The technical training has since been taken over by the centre for continuing education while the unit now concentrates on the students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES). The unit was however upgraded to a Directorate in the year 2007. The number of schools rose from the three foundational schools to the present six schools and the students participating equally rose from two hundred students in 1990 to about three thousand (3000) students in 2015. As a University of Science and Technology, all students in the University at 400 level participate in SIWES
The University management has been highly supportive and the unit has been growing from strength to strength and faithfully carrying out its mandate.
