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Vocational Training and Factory Schools - Industrial Training (SIWES)

Vocational Training and Factory Schools - Industrial Training (SIWES)

The industrial revolution which began in England about 1750, and spread first to France and Belgium, then to Germany and the United States, ushered in an era of social legislation, and with it sizeable changes in the concept of work and work organization. Through all these changes, however, one constantly developing emphasis was upon quality training of workers. Industrialization brought two changes in work preparation and execution. Specific training was now required before specific tasks could be performed. The other change required a different orientation on the part of workers: work activity was now focused away from the individual, family or small group and toward a large impersonal organization, existing within an even larger, impersonal urban community. The industrial revolution required training of workers for specific tasks, and the
reorientation of workers to function within the emerging corporate organization (Eurich, 1985), i.e. the possession of relevant KSAAs by workers.

The industrial revolution which thrived on power-driven machinery, steam engines and a factory system that put useful knowledge and new technology to work needed a new class of workers. The new “working class” wanted the opportunities that industry offered as much as industry wanted workers with a certain level of intelligence, skill and resourcefulness. The new system of manufacturing meant that the machines were skilled, not necessarily the operators of the machines. Craftsmanship belonged to the past, and industrial training to the future.

However, since there was no public system of education or training to provide useful knowledge for potential young workers in these early days of the industrial era, training had to take place within a company or trade group out of necessity. But the companies did turn to the education system for help and this culminated in the establishment of institutions for the training of persons preparing themselves for jobs in industry, which came to be known as “vocational training”. These types of institutions exist till today in many parts of the world including Nigeria where they are called Trade Centres or Technical Colleges.

In order to meet the demand of industry for workers with the requisite knowledge and skills, some companies established their own “factory schools”. One of the first factory schools was established in 1872 by Hoe and Company, New York. Similar factory schools were established by Westinghouse in 1888, by General Electric Company in 1901 and by International Harvester Company in 1907.

In Nigeria, some companies have also found it necessary to establish their own factory schools, as exemplified by Unilever Nigeria Plc which established its Engineering Craft Apprenticeship School in 1983. Other companies having factory schools include Nigerian Breweries Plc., Nigerite Plc, Bagco Plc., Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc. Government establishments are not left out: Nigeria Railways and Nigerian Ports Authority have Apprenticeship Training Schools. The Industrial Training Fund, although not a company, also has Apprenticeship Training Schools where people preparing themselves for employment in industry can acquire requisite KSAAs.


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