Summer Industrial Training
Introduction
In today’s world, merely having a degree is no guarantee of employment, nor is it a reliable indicator of the individual’s competence in a job. Rather, graduates must have current and relevant knowledge, practical experience, soft skills and a positive attitude to allow them to be competitive in the job market. They must possess the necessary knowledge and skills before they go out into the working world. In line with this, the Industrial Training component of the undergraduate program constitutes a vital component in the drive to strengthen the key competencies required to improve the graduates’ ability to work.
Definition of Industrial Training
Industrial Training refers to a program which aims to provide supervised practical training within a specified timeframe. This training can be carried out either in government organisations or in the private sector.
Aims
The main aim of the Industrial Training program is to produce graduates who are ready to face the working world. The program also aims to produce the knowledgeable, skilled and experienced graduates, demanded by employers, who are able to apply the knowledge acquired at university to the working world. The Industrial Training program provides opportunities for exposure to the working world, which will make graduates more aware of the hopes and expectations that industry has of them. The program will also equip students with real work experience. Placing students in industry also increases their chances of employment after graduation, as there is a strong possibility that they will be offered a job in the same place where they do their training. Apart from this, the training experience will further solidify the on-campus learning process and activities, while also providing students with relevant work experience.
Objectives
Briefly, the Industrial Training program has six (6) main objectives:
- To give students the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired in a real-life work situation.
- To provide students with opportunities for practical, hands-on learning from practitioners in the students field of study.
- To give students work experience while they are studying their chosen subject.
- To expose students to the work environment, common practices, employment opportunities and work ethics in the relevant field.
- To inculcate soft skills relevant to the needs of employers.
- To provide opportunities for students to be offered jobs in the same organisations where they undergo Industrial Training.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of Industrial Training, students will be able to:
improve their knowledge and skills relevant to their area of study
relate the knowledge and skills acquired at the workplace, to their on-campus studies
compete effectively in the job market, because they have been equipped with the requisite knowledge, skills, attitudes and practical experience.
Duration of Industrial Training
Duration of the Industrial Training program depends on the requirements of the program of study. Ideally, it should last from two to six months