DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ONLINE INDUSTRIAL TRAINING FUND PAYMENT SYSTEM
(CASE STUDY: FEDERAL COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE ISHIAGU)
ABSTRACT
It is pertinent to say that students are encountering problems in receiving their industrial training allowance. As a computer science student, we have to take the lead while others follow. Setting the pace in everything that has to do with computing is what matters so long as I am concern. In a bid to put a stop to that, I have decided to develop a workable website for the school that will enable the students receive their allowance on any bank of their choice and visit any cybercafé all over the world, log in and fill the necessary information without having to go to the school bursary.
What motivated me is the way people travel from far, in other to receive their allowance and go to the SIWES unit for their cheque collection instead of receiving their money online. This website is designed using ASP.NET and dream weaver. It is an interactive website. And it is intended to provide the services that are mostly needed by the students for their industrial training allowance. The students will now be in a better position to receive their money and bank will submit to the industrial training fund headquarter and/or institution the print out of the total number of students whom they have credited their account for confirmation. Therefore the purpose of this project is to design a system that will improve the speed of processing the rate at which problem solving is achieved and eliminating completely the problems encountered in the manual system of Industrial Training Fund payment, whereby project will help the students to collect their money without the risk of transporting from their various places of attachment down to school. Also to convert the manual system of ITF payment, ascertain the payment and the schools and so on, into a computerized system
INTRODUCTION
Industrial Training program was introduced under the National policy by the federal government in the year 1973/74 and supervised by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). It is a training a student undergoes in the field of his/her course of study in other to acquires more knowledge and be more practical.
The students industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) is a skill training program that is designed by the federal government to expose and prepare students of university, Polytechnic and colleges of education for industrial work situation that they might likely meet before or after graduation. Before the establishment of the scheme was a growing concern among our industrialists that graduates of our institutions of higher learning lacked adequate practical background studies preparatory for employment in industries.
The main objective of the program is to bridge the gap between theories and practical by making it possible for students to get themselves exposed to real jobs and actual job situations and environments. It is therefore an important and mandatory component of training in the accredited disciplines or courses like Computer science, Engineering, Geology, and Agricultural Sciences, etc.
1.1 BACKGROUND HISTORY OF FEDERAL COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, ISHIAGU
The federal college of agriculture, Umudike now at Ishiagu as the training wing of national root crop research institute situated at Umudike, in Abia State. She still trains staff of NRCRI in Advance Certificate, National and Higher Diplomas.
The relocation of the college to Ishiagu in1993 made way for the establishment of federal university of Agriculture now Micheal Opera university of Agriculture, Umudike.
Ishiagu being the new location is quite suitable for academic and agricultural work. Presently, the college occupies an area of 200 hectares.
Aims and Objectives
The college will aims at excelling in every aspect of Agriculture and capacity building of middle level manpower (ND and HND) in practical and theoretical Agriculture. It has the under listed objectives for efficient performance and achievement of the target.
To develop and run training programmed that can produce self-reliant agriculture technologies and technicians for the agricultural industry. M To meet NBTE accreditation standards, expand and diversify programmed that are cost effectives.
To maintain a close link industries related to agriculture and ensure that our products meet their needs. This will provide adequate SIWES places and opportunities for some employment to our student in the private sector.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Since the history of Federal College of Agriculture, which has several departments, the school has undergo several problems, which delay in paying ITF allowances which is be done manually.
We need a set of simple and consistent principles to govern the arrangements for the computerization of projects conducted or completed under the Innovation and Technology Support Programme (ITSP) and General Support Programme (GSP) of the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF). This manual system of paying ITF allowances has led to different problems such as:
v Prone to human error/typographical error
v Unnecessary delay in the payment of students and supervisor allowance
v Difficulties of students in getting placement
v Inadequate supervision
v Non-signing of necessary materials like students’ log book at their places of attachment
v Risk of transporting from students place of attachment down to their various schools for collection of their allowance.
v This research work was embarked upon to achieve certain aims which this study will attempt critically to exhaust the subject of this study.
1.3 AIMS/OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The aims/objectives of this study is to set and control standards of excellence and effectiveness in and offer direct training of professionals, technicians, technologists and entrepreneurs to meet the human resource needs for rapid industrialization and sustainable economic development of Nigeria, relying on a corp of highly motivated and competent professional staff using best of breed training techniques and modern technology.
The objectives/aims are as follows:
Ø Provision of an avenue for students in institutions of higher learning to acquire industrial skills and experience in their approved course of study.
Ø Prepare students for the industrial works situation which they are likely to meet after graduation.
Ø It expose students to work methods and techniques in handling equipment and machinery not available in their institutions.
Ø Provide students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge in real work situation thereby bridging the gap between theory and practices.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The significance of this research work is to provides a reliable and efficient platform for implementing e-payment directly to the account of the approved participating students.
v To ensure adequate funding of the scheme.
v Students taking part in the students industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) are aware of the objectives for which it was established primarily on issue of relating theory to practice. They were usually eager to take part in the scheme because it offers the students learning experiences which cannot be directly gained in the class room.
v Establish siwes and accredit siwes unit in the approved institutions.
v Formulate policies and guideline for participating bodies and institutions as well as appointing siwes co-coordinators and supporting staff.
However, this package will be of good use to all students, supervisors and ITF officers and directors because it will saves time when information is be retrieved.
1.5 SCOPE OF STUDY
The researcher is concerned with an online industrial training payment system. It cover all the operations of SIWES department of the institution which is the case study. It deals with the ITF e- payment allowances, supervision of students, online filling of log- books.
1.6 ORGANIZATION OF STUDY
Chapter two reviews the related literature under the following sub-headings: industrial training fund, the review of the site, online students industrial training fund, industrial training fund(ITF) new mode of payment, etc.
Chapter three handles the system methodology analysis and design as follows: introduction, the user interface, hardware and software requirements, user documentation, system backup, system maintenance, etc.
Chapter four is concerned with the system implementation and programming.
Chapter five comprises of summary, conclusion and recommendation.
1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
There are some limitations or constraints confronting this study, they are as follows
· TIME: I have a very little time to carry out this research this was the fact that I combine the research work with my academic studies. You can agree with me that time constraints is one of the limitations I experience while carry out this research work.
· FINANCE: however, finance is another constraint I experience while carry out this research. The inadequate of finance to carry out this research slow down the research work. Despite the limitations every effort was geared towards accomplishing this project.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Database
A collection of different files in a specialized way for easy retrieval and update.
Computer
An electronic device capable of performing computations and making logical decisions as speeds of times faster than human beings can.
Electronic Mail
It is a means of computer-based communication in which an electronic letter is sent to one or more recipient.
Hardware
These are the physical components of the computer.
Home Page
This is the page displayed each time web browser is opened.
Software
It used to describe all programs that are written in a particularly computer installation and their associated documents.
Program
It is a set of instructions, which enables particular processes to be performed by a computer.
Menu
This provides the user with a number of options and a simple means of selecting between them.
Computer Graphics
This is a field of usual computing, where one utilizes computers both to generate visual images synthetically and to integrate or alter visual and spatial information samples from the real world. This involves the use of pictures, diagrams, graph, line drawing, animated cottons etc