D.N. Dumbiri

This study investigated the influence of the student industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) on the acquisition of entrepreneurial and employability skills among business education students in Edo State. Specifically, the study examined how SIWES contributes to entrepreneurial skills, the extent to which it influences employability, the challenges students face during their placements, and the alignment of industrial training with the business education curriculum. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and the population of the study comprised all Business Education students in selected universities in Edo State, from which a sample of 39 respondents were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire based on a four-point rating scale was the main instrument for data collection. The reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach Alpha, which yielded a coefficient of 0.82, indicating that the instrument was reliable. The data collected were analyzed using mean (x) and standard deviation (SD). The findings generally showed that SIWES significantly contributes to the acquisition of entrepreneurial and employability skills, though students face challenges such as inadequate placement opportunities, poor supervision, and mismatch between tasks and curriculum content. The study concluded that SIWES plays a vital role in bridging the gap between classroom learning and workplace practice. It was recommended that government, universities, and industries strengthen collaboration to improve placement quality, supervision, and alignment with the curriculum to maximize the benefits of SIWES for Business Education students to a high extent. It was concluded that SIWES influence the acquisition of entrepreneurial and employability skills among business education students in Edo State. Based on the findings, it was recommended that a more robust monitoring and evaluation framework should be implemented by SIWES supervisors to ensure students are actively engaged and properly supervised throughout their attachment, moving beyond mere observation to active participation

This research work aims to investigate how agricultural youth sensitive policies can be leveraged to enhance youths inclination towards agriculture. The population of study comprised of 67 students from 200level to 400level studying Agriculture Education in the Faculty of Education, University of Benin, Benin city, Edo State. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study . The entire population of 67 students was used because of the few students enrolled to study agriculture education in the department. Questionnaire was administered to them ,which was collected immediately after filling. Five research questions were raised to guild the study. The instrument was validated by 3 experts from the Department of Vocational and Technical Education Faculty of Education . The data collected was analyzed using frequency count, mean and standard deviation. The findings of this study reveal that the current state of youth participation in agriicilture is low. It also examine the barriers and challenges facing youths participation in Agriculture. The study also revealed the existing agricultural youth sensitive policies. The limitations of agricultural youth sensitive policies and also to analyse the roles of government in implementing agricultural youth sensitive policies. It was recommended that efforts should be made by enhancing youth inclination towards agriculture by providing incentives, training programs and mentorship opportunities to attract and retain young people in the sector. Another recommendation was that the youth sensitive policies should be reviewed and strengthened to address the limitations identified by incorporating feedbacks from young farmers , providing financial support and ensuring policies are responsive are responsive to the needs and aspirations of the youth.