Influence of Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) on Agricultural Career Choice among Students in Southwestern Nigerian Polytechnics

The transition from education to career is a critical phase for students, and practical training programs can play a significant role in shaping career choices. This study examines influence of Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) on agricultural career choice among students in Southwestern Nigerian polytechnics. Data were collected from respondents using structured questionnaires and the study explored students' socioeconomic characteristics, areas of SIWES engagement, and influencing factors during SIWES towards students choosing agriculture as a career. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 325 respondents, and data were analyzed with descriptive (frequency count, percentage, mean and standard deviation) and inferential (factor analysis and analysis of variance) statistics at a 5% significance level. The mean age of respondents was 20.67 years, with females made up 53.8 percent of participants. Majority of the respondents were Christians (52.0%) and enrolled in Agricultural Technology (65.5%). Parental sponsorship was high (90.2%), but 69.8 percent received no incentives. Most (89.5%) of the respondents were willing to pursue a career in agriculture, with 56.0% interested in animal husbandry. The factors influencing students’ agricultural career choices during the SIWES programme showed that enterprise professionalism had the strongest impact, while employability status had the least. Principal Component Analysis revealed two major components accounting for over 78% of the variance, highlighting key influencers such as organizational ethics, entrepreneurial culture, and preference for outdoor work. The one-way ANOVA result (F = 4.297, p = 0.005) indicates a significant difference in factors influencing agricultural career choice among students across Southwestern Nigeria polytechnics. The study concluded that SIWES plays a critical role in shaping students' agricultural career choices, especially when well-structured and relevant to students’ academic disciplines. The study recommends institutions should collaborate with professional agricultural organizations to enhance the quality of SIWES placements.