No More “School Only”: COREN Pushes New Practical Training Structure for Engineering Students

 No More “School Only”: COREN Pushes New Practical Training Structure for Engineering Students

A new discussion is gaining attention among engineering students following a post circulating on social media claiming that the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has introduced a revised practical-training structure for engineering undergraduates.

The circulating information claims that engineering students would be required to complete:

SWEP — 3 months in 200 Level

SIWES I — 3 months in 300 Level

SIWES II — 3 months in 400 Level

It further claims that students would undergo one year of mandatory engineering residency before NYSC.

However, students should not treat the viral graphic as an official COREN directive yet. COREN's current Engineering Accreditation Manual provides for industrial training, including a minimum of six months of IT/SIWES, with SIWES-I, SIWES-II and SIWES-III structured after 200, 300 and 400 Levels respectively.  Read More

Separately, COREN has announced plans for a mandatory one-year Engineering Residency Programme after graduation and before NYSC, aimed at strengthening graduates' practical competence and hands-on experience. 

What this could mean for engineering students

If the proposed reforms are fully implemented, engineering education in Nigeria could become even more practically oriented, requiring students to gain meaningful industry and workshop experience at different stages of their academic journey.

One thing is clear, however: the future of engineering education is moving towards stronger practical training and industry readiness.