Journal of Technology & Socia - "Economic Development 
Volume 2, September 2013 Issue' 
Challenges facing induction training programmes for student on industrial attachment in Kenya 
Saina Andrew Kiplagar", Kerre, B. W.1, Kitainge, K. M.l, Koskey, J. A.3 
lEldoret Polytechnic, Eldoret, Kenya, 2Department of Technology Education, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya, 3Departmellt of Wildlife Management, Narok University College, Narok, Kenya. *Correspondence author: andrewk.saina@yahoo.com
	:~, 	Abstract 	, .,,:~, 
The industrilal attachment links classroom practical with the on-the-job training which provides the student with the opportunity to have an insight into the practical application of the skills and safety consciousness in industry. The attachment programme targets students who have attained intermediate levels in some field of training. The role of induction training for these students has often been neglected and the rapid development! in new technologies together with the industrial restructuring, of ,recent years have highlighted this study. Challenges facing the training programmes  have not been addressed well in relation to identifying strategies to overcome them. Furthermore, induction training policy for an industry has not been included in a range of policies dealing with student industrial attachments. The objective of the study was therefore to determine the challenges facing the induction training programmes for student on industrial attachment in Kenya. The sample groups of 150 students on attachment and 25 workplace supervisors were randomly selected from their respective sampling frames of which self-administered and researcher-administered questionnaires were used to collect data. Interview schedules for key informants in industry were also used to get some data. Quantitative data analysis for the study revealed that some challenges were facing induction training programmes for students on the attachment in Kenya. The five stated challenges were: Student trainees do not have free access to machines and equipment to work with; Student trainees spend a lot of money traveling from their places of residence to workplace; Industries are suspicious of students on the attachment programme; Students spend a lot of time in finding placement for the industrial attachment; and Supervision from workplace and training institution supervisors is not effective. The results of the study showed that among these challenges, four were found to be statistically significant These were: the lack of free access to machines and equipment; the amounts of money spent on traveling to and from the workplace, the time spent on finding placement and the effectiveness of supervision by workplace and training institution supervisors: The industry being suspicious of students on the attachment was not found as a challenge. Ps-values of the statistical tests for the five stated challenges were also computed. There was agreement (no significant difference) between the two sample groups when the P - value on the stated challenges was greater than significance level of 0.05 .• Specifically, the two sample groups did not agree with the challenge that industries are suspicious of students on the industrial attachment programme (p-value = 0.01 and T-test = -3.69). The interviews further revealed that induction training progranunes for the students were faced. with some challenges which included: lack of finances to carry out well planned induction training for the students, lack of comprehensive job description for each of these students, and accidents, spoiled work and damage to industry machines & equipment. Furthermore, there were some challenges which industries encounter for embracing induction training for the students which included: possible expenses in case of accidents to students while being inducted, low production level during the time of induction training, and poor performance, breakage, scrap and wastage of materials during the induction training. From the findings, the study concluded that there should be more assistance needed (e.g. reimbursements) for industries to support the induction training programmes for the students. The study did recommend the need for the government to assist in addressing challenges facing induction training programmes in industries in order to support the student attachment programme. 
Keywords 
Attachment, Sample, induction, training, challenge and industry 
industrial attachment for training students in order to improve labour market relations. 
The industrial attachment programme targets trainees who have attained the intermediate levels in some field of training. According to the industrial attachment policy of May, 2006, the National Training Authority intended to attach 
• 

Introduction 
There is a set of principles and guidelines in the industrial attachment policy for' the students. According to National Training Authority (2006), the strategic objective and purpose (If industrial attachment is to create opportunities of 

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Journal of Technology & Socio - Economic Development 

seven hundred (700) trainees annually and by the year 2010 was to be able to attach all qualified trainees. The period for industrial attachmerit varies between three to six months depending on the course programme and availability of opportunities. A code of conduct is usually developed for the students to observe and practice. Each one of these students is supplied with a logbook to take along when going on the attachment The logbooks are completed on daily basis and assessed by workplace and training institution supervisors before finally endorsed by the Directorate of Industrial Training (DfT) at the end of the attachment programme (DIT, 
2006). 
The industrial attachment links classroom 
practical with the on-the-job training which provides the student with the opportunity to have 
an insight into the practical application of the skills and safety consciousness in industry (Saina, 2011). Induction training is meant for students on industrial attachment and its sole objective is to adapt them to the specialized equipment, machines and work methods of industry offering the attachment. It seeks to adjust the trainees to the work environment and enables them to be familiar with the tools, equipment and machines as well as his/her superiors and subordinates (Saleerni, 1997). According to Cole (2002), industries in collaboration with training institutions provide most of the induction training for the students. 
The role of induction training for the student trainee has often been neglected and the rapid developments in new technologies together with the industrial restructuring of recent years have highlighted this study. The challenges facing induction training have not been addressed well in relation to identifying strategies to overcome them. Induction training policy for an industry has not been included in a range of policies dealing with industrial attachment for the students. Induction training in the workplace can be costly and time consuming, and consequently is often neglected (Hyman, 1992). Industries have particularly earned poor reputation in induction training for student trainees. Preparatory information have not been adequately provided for these students to help them set the expectations about the events and consequences of actions that are likely to occur in the training environment and eventually on the 
work. 
The objective of the study was therefore to 
determine the challenges facing the induction training programmes for students on industrial 
Volume 2, September 2013 Issue 
attachment in Kenya. In order to be able to address the objective, the study tested the 
following hypothesis: 
HO: There is no significant difference between the two sample groups regarding responses to the stated challenges facing induction training programmes for the student 
trainees. 
Methodology 
Industries within Eldoret municipality in Kenya 
was purposively selected as a study area often considering factors such as accessibility, financial resources, availability of the subjects and time for the study. The study adopted a survey research. The research population was 350 which constituted 300 student trainees from various training institutions and 50 workplace supervisors from some industries. The population sample was determined from the population using the table by Mitchell and Jolley (1988) which gives the required sample sizes for various population sizes against selected confidence levels and sampling errors. From the table at 95% confidence and 5% sampling error, 
a sample size of 175 was necessary since it lies between 132 and 217 which correspond to 200 and 500 size of universe respectively. This sample size of 175 was stratified according to population ratio of 6: 1 of which 150 were determined to be student trainees and 25 were workplace supervisors. Stratified random sampling procedure was used in selecting sample groups whereby the population was divided into two sample groups of student trainees and workplace supervisors according to their homogeneous characteristics. The sample groups of 150 student attachees and 25 workplace supervisors were then randomly selected from their respective sampling frames. A self administered questionnaire was used for the students because they were many and most of them were found in different workplaces while a researcher-administered questionnaire was used for the workplace supervisors. 
Interview schedules for key informants in industry were also used to get some data.' This helped to guard against distorting the questions, since the questions were clarified thereby helping the respondent give relevant responses (Borg and Gall, 1997). The quantitative data analysis was used whereby data was collected and organized into themes and categories for 
generalizations to be formulated. 

Results 
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Journal of Technology & Socio - Economic Development 
The means for each sample group were computed from the responses to the stated c9~lenges . , '" facing induction training programmes.f;·The computed means were then compared with the theoretical mean (assuming a normal distribution of responses) of 2.5 to determine whether the sample groups agreed with the stated challenges or not. The five stated challenges were: Student trainees do not have free access to machines and equipment to work' with; Student trainees spend a lot of money traveling from their places of residence to workplace; Industries are suspicious of students on the attachment programme; Students spend a lot of time in finding placement for the industrial attachment; and Supervision from workplace and training institution supervisors is not effective. Among these challenges, only one was found to be below the theoretical mean. Both the students' and the workplace supervisors' computed means 
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Volume 2, September 2013 Issue 
for the challenge "Industries are suspicious of students on attachment programme" were below 
the theoretical. mean of 2.5 (X = 1.46 and 2.31 respectively). 
From the results, the challenge about students spending a lot of time in finding placement for 
industrial attachment had the highest means (X = 3.54 for student trainees and X = 3.45 for workplace supervisors). The results of the study showed that among the five challenges facing induction training programmes for student on industrial attachment in industries, four were found to be statistically significant The industry being suspicious of students on the attachment was not found to be statistically insignificant. The results are presented in table 1 below. 
Table 1: Challenges facing the induction training programmes for student trainees in industries 
	Challenge 	Student 	Workplace 
				trainees 		supervisors 	
				Mean 	SD 	Mean 	SD 	
	Student trainees do not have free access to machines 	3.08 	0.73 	2.75 	0.93 	
	and equipment to work with 						
2 	Student trainees spent a lot of money traveling from 	3.08 	0.73 	2.94 	0.78 	
	their places of residence to workplace 					
3 	Industries are suspicious of students on the attachment 	1.46 	0.50 	2.31 	0.81 	
	programme 							
4 	Students spent a lot of time in finding placement for the 	3.54 	0.63 	3.45 	0.63 	
	industrial attachment 						
5 	Supervision 	from workplace 	and training institution 	3.08 	0.73 	3.00 	0.86 	
	supervisors is not effective 						
T-test analysis for independent samples was also carried out for the sample group means in order to determine whether there were statistically significant differences between the two sample 
groups regarding responses to the stated challenges affecting induction training programmes. The results appear in table 2 below. 
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Journal of Technology & Socio - Economic Development 
Table 2: T - test analysis for the sample group means 
Volume 2, September 2013 Issue 
	
Challenge 
Student trainees do not have free access to machines and equipment to work with 

2 	Student trainees spent a lot of money traveling from their homes to workplace 

3 	Industries are suspicious of students on the attachment programme 

4 	Students spent a lot of time in finding placement for the industrial attachment 

5 	Supervision from workplace and training institution supervisors is not effective 
T - test 
Student 	Workplace 	
trainees 	supervisors 	
(n = 150) 	(n = 25) 	
3.08 	2.75 	
3.08 	2.94 	
1.46 	2.31 	
3.54 	3.45 	
3.08 	3.00 	
1.28 
0.58 
-3.69 
0.44 
0.31 

From the results, the decision was not to reject the null hypothesis and support the idea that there is no significant difference between the two sample groups regarding responses to the four stated challenges facing induction training programmes for student trainees. The decision to the other challenge (industries are suspicious of students on the attachment programme) was to reject the null hypothesis and support the idea that there is significant difference between the two sample groups regarding response to the 
stated challenge facing induction training programmes for student trainees. 
P-values of the statistical tests for five stated challenges facing the induction training programmes for student trainees in were also computed. There was agreement (no significant difference) between the two sample groups when the P-value on the stated challenges was greater than significance level of 0.05. The results are presented on table 3 below. 
Table 3: P - values of the statistical tests for five stated challenges facing the induction training 
programmes
Challenge 
2 
Student trainees do not have free access to machines and equipment to work with 
Student trainees spent a lot of money traveling from their homes to workplace 
Industries are suspicious of students on the attachment programme 
Students spent a lot of time in finding placement for the industrial attachment 
Supervision from workplace and training institution supervisors is not effective 
Student 
Workplace 	P - value 	
supervisors 		
(n=25) 		
2.75 	0.11 	
2.94 	0.08 	
2.31 	0.01 	
3.45 	0.09 	
3.00 	0.21 	
trainees (n= 150) 
3 
4 
5 
3.08 
3.08 
1.46 
3.54 
3.08 

One of the challenges produced statistically significant difference in sample group means between student trainees and workplace 
supervisors (X = 1.46 and X = 2.31 respectively). 

Specifically, the two sample groups did not agree with the challenge that industries are suspicious 
of students on the industrial attachment programme (P-value = 0.01 and T-test = -3.69). Workplace supervisors exhibited a significantly higher level of disagreement than the students and this meant that workplace supervisors belong to host industries and thus were less likely to support situations that could giye them an idea to have the slightest doubt that their industries are 
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Journal of Technology & Socio - Economic Development 
suspicious of students on the industrial attachment programmes. On the contrary, some students .will have encountered some isolated incidents that could~ heighten their belief that industries are suspicious of students on the industrial attachment prograrrune. 
Discussion 
In view of the objective of the study, the lack of free access to machines and equipment is quite disturbing. Skills development which is an integral feature of work based training programmes can hardly take place when students are not having free access to machines and equipment. However, industries were at times reluctant to grant students free access to their machines and equipment for fear of damage due to improper usage, accidents and possible decrease in productivity. 
From the interviews, the industries were not getting funds for induction training programmes for students on industrial attachment and thus they were not meeting the transportation costs for the trainees. The interviews further revealed that induction training programmes were faced with some challenges which included: lack of finances to carry out well planned induction training for student trainees, lack of comprehensive job description for each student trainee, and accidents, spoiled work and damage to their machines & equipment. Furthermore, there were some challenges which industries encounter' for embracing induction training which included: possible expenses in case of accidents to students while being inducted, low production level during the time of induction training for student trainees, and poor performance, breakage, scrap and wastage of materials during the induction training. 
The industries were also experiencing some limitations in conducting student induction training which included: high costs of induction training for each student trainee, cost of overtime work required from regular workers in conducting induction training, and lack of tools, equipments and facilities which can be fully utilized during the induction training. 
Despite the challenges and limitations experienced 'from the induction training for student trainees, most of the industries said they will continue conducting the induction training programmes. 
In general, Afonja (2005) acknowledges that there should be a way of compensating industries that provide placement for the students. Chabra (2005) noted that an induction training 

Volume 2, September 2013 Issue 
programme should have a well qualified and experienced trainer who not only has mastery of the technical details-of the work, but also knows how to train. Kimberly (1996) noted that the actual content of the induction training programme should be compiled and produced in advance to include: workbooks, exercises and activities. 
Conclusion and Recommendation 
The finding that there were challenges facing induction training programmes for students on industrial attachment showed that there should be more assistance needed (e.g. reimbursements) for industries to support the programmes. 
The government should also encourage industries to strengthen the induction training for student trainees in adopting strategies to overcome the challenges facing this training. These include: retraining of workplace supervisors on new teclmological changes, provision of adequate machines and equipments for induction training, and collaboration of industries and training training institutions in getting guidelines of particular work experiences expected to be exposed to student. 
Based on the objective, the study recommends that there is need for the government to assist in addressing challenges facing induction training programmes for students on industrial attachment 
Since the research sought to determine the challenges facing induction training for students on industrial attachment, it was suggested that other research be done on areas such as effects of induction training on the growth of industries. In addition, further research to determine the challenges facing induction training programmes for the students may be done within other countries to secure more knowledge on the topic. 
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Acknowledgement 
The authors acknowledge the Department of Teclmology Education, Moi University and the Eldoret Polytechnic for all the support. 
References 
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Journal of Technology & Socio-Economic Development 
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