The Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) was established in Delta State University in 1993 with the assistance of Dr. .J. A. Ighedo who liaised with Industrial Training Fund (ITF). He was put in charge of developing the Technical Education Department programme in the University, which later became the first Department to key into SIWES programme. SIWES is an academic support unit, which operates as a directorate under the Vice-Chancellor’s office. It oversees all the activities undertaken in Industrial Training in the university. It also provides a liaison between the University, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the various companies & Industrial establishments that offer Industrial Training (IT) placement to students.
SIWES is a proficiency training programme, which is designed to render and prepare students of Delta State University to real life work situation which they will come across after graduation. The University now has 40 programmes taking part in Industrial Training. These programmes are represented by coordinators. The programmes are:

FACULTY OF ARTS: Fine and Applied Arts, Music.
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE: Agricultural Economics and Extension, Agronomy and Soil, Animal Science, Forestry, Fisheries.
BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCE: Medical Biochemistry, Nursing, Human Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology.
FACULTY OF EDUCATION: Agric. Education, Business Education, Human Kinetics, Health and Safety Educ., Home Economics Education, Technical Education. 
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING:Mechanical,  Electrical, Civil, Mechanical and Petroleum 
FACULTY OF PHARMACY: Pharmacy. 
FACULTY OF SCIENCE: Botany, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geology, Industrial Chemistry, Industrial Mathematics, Medical Lab Science, Microbiology, Physics, Zoology.
FACULTY OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCE: Geography and Regional Planning, Library and Information Science, Mass Communication.
 

The Directorate has been overseen by series of directors which are as follows:

1.Prof. S. I. Akinseinde        -    1993-1996
2.Prof.  P.N.Okonta              -    1997-1998
3.Prof. S.O. Akporido           -    1999-2003
4.Prof. B.O.Ejechi                -     2003-2005
5.Prof. A.C. Egun                 -    2005-2008
6.Prof. (Mrs) O. D. Ogisi      -    2008-2012
7.Prof. (Mrs) D. O Arubayi   -    2012-2016
8.Prof. A.C. Egun                 -    2016-2018
9.Prof. (Mrs) F. N. Ugoji       -    2018-2022
10.Prof. S.I. Efe                   -    2023-Date