Administration of Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (Siwes) and Development of Employability Skills Among Undergraduates in Public Universities

This study examines the administration of the Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) and its influence on employability skills development among business education undergraduates in public universities in Cross River State, Nigeria. Guided by human capital theory, the study adopts a correlational design with a population of 338 final-year business education students from two public universities, from which a sample of 180 is selected using stratified random sampling. Data are collected using a validated questionnaire (Cronbach’s α = 0.82) and analyzed with regression statistics at a 0.05 significance level. Findings reveal that the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) significantly influences employability skills development, explaining 49.7% of the variance (p < 0.05). The institution-based SIWES director accounts for 28.3% of the variance (p < 0.05), supervising lecturers explain 34.6% (p < 0.05), and industry-based supervisors contribute 22.5% (p < 0.05). In all cases, null hypotheses are rejected. These results reinforce existing evidence that effective SIWES administration—through structured industry engagement, consistent supervision, and targeted training—enhances employability competencies essential for labor market readiness. The study concludes that the employability skills of business education undergraduates are strengthened through coordinated input from all SIWES stakeholders. It recommends that the ITF Area Office in Calabar establishes skill incubation and evaluation programs, institution-based directors ensure recognized industry placements, lecturers adopt digital tools for continuous supervision, and industry-based supervisors provide deeper work-based learning with employment pathways. The implication is that strategic collaboration among SIWES stakeholders consistently improves graduate readiness for employment and entrepreneurial engagement.