Shareholic

Friday, December 26, 2014

How a teacher differs from the trainer?




During the course of a discussion,  the following was the topic selected by the forum members:

Why is training so important for a job/on the job after undergoing so many years of education ? Does it mean that the trainers are doing better job than the teachers ?

The valid points emanated from three members are reproduced here below for the information of the readers:

Member 01:
Necessarily there is a difference between a teacher and the trainer.   It is like working in a hotel. A person who manages the kitchen is called as the chef and the person who manages the entire administration is called as the “manager”. The same person can be a chef at one point of time while he accepts the role of a chef and a manager while he assumes the role of a manager; however, the individual remains the same.

In the instant case, the teacher fills the knowledge gap. He is instrumental in enabling the students  understand more on the subjects chosen. In the case of a trainer, he enables the trainee to acquire certain competencies. Unless a person acquires the necessary competencies like communication ability, leadership quality, time management, inter personal relationship, problem solving capability, emotional skills etc, whatever may be his academic caliber he cannot justify the post he occupies. It may be managing a retail shop – where he has to handle the difficult customers, manage time to service the customers promptly and efficiently.

Member: 02
As earlier said, the same person can be a teacher and the trainer. While the individual  performs the role of a teacher, he concentrates much on the subjects he has to handle rather than the behavioural aspects of the student. He takes much care in delivering the inputs rather than the reactions on the part of the students except the learning inquisitiveness in them. This is on account of the facts that he may not be having required time and to mention specifically, as a teacher he has to necessarily make a thorough research over the subjects he handles rather than personality sitting in front of him .

In the case of a trainer, he has no subjects to teach. He has only personalities in front of him to be trained. He has no books to read; however, he has individuals to be motivated, geared up and tuned up.  Towards training the personalities he  focuses his in depth study in reading  mindset of the trainees and  employs various tools and techniques by which the students are driven out from their present mindsets. He necessarily focuses more on communication ability, leadership quality , problem solving ability , time management, logical thinking etc.
When the student wants to learn a subject, his role is said to be a student and when he wants to learn his own competencies and soft qualities, he is called as a trainee and while the teacher makes an earnest attempt in enabling the student understand the subjects, the trainer enables the trainee understand his own traits hidden in the form of strengths and weaknesses.

Member: 03
In a sense dice are loaded against the teachers; however, in favour of the trainers. A teacher has to cover a variety of topics. It is almost like everything under the sun. Most of the business schools especially in countries like India expect the students to cram as many as twelve to fifteen courses in a semester during the course of acquiring one MBA qualification. This increases the burden not only on the part of the students; however,   the teachers as well. Normally they are always sailing on the comparison mode with their counterparts in other business schools. The time available for completion of these types of exercises is very limited. Moreover, teachers by virtue of the qualities acquired through their profession rarely possess real life experiences to highlight the students in pursuit of acquiring any soft qualities.

A trainer on the other hand has fairly a narrow and focused set of items in front of him to cover. These are normally related to the immediate job requirements of the students. The trainer needs to have varieties of live-wire examples to drive home the trainees in understanding the required competencies and the lab or practice sessions which are more valuable to bring in requisite skills are also likely to be more focused in case of company-organised or facilitated programmes.

In the case of industry-oriented  training programmes, the focus is requirement based and confined to limited walls. This is almost a luxury that the teacher in a school or college environment cannot afford.




Monday, September 8, 2014

Born to win


Sitting on my chair, I was highly immersed in formulating the various strategies for the day to day activities. The responsibilities entrusted to the Director of one Rural Self Employment Training Institute differ from that of other educational institutions or administrative offices.
As a director, while I was just thinking of recruiting suitable trainees for the forthcoming training programs in regard to “Mushroom cultivation” and many other programs I heard somebody knocking the door of my cabin.
Without taking my eyes from the working sheets on my desk I told, “Yes -  come in”.
“Sir, I am Edward”.
Immediately on seeing the news brief released in various Tamil dailies by the Institute, for recruitment of trainees for the training program on – “Mobile phones servicing and repairing”, I started receiving a large number of representations in person, by post and over phone from aspiring trainees.
Amidst the crowd, Edward a medium built personality around 35 years’ old peeped himself inside my cabin and started listening to my conditions.
“Sir, I am Edward and I require training on mobile servicing and repairing”.
“We offer various training courses for the educated unemployed and financially deprived persons including housewives towards upgradation of their skills in specified areas and we motivate them and infuse confidence in them towards becoming an entrepreneur. I require people who had completed tenth standard and above to be recruited as trainees for this training program. I admit persons who had completed tenth standard and above only. Do you have the requisite qualifications?”
Once my introductory speech was over, he started telling.
“Yes sir”.
“In case you had not completed your tenth standard, I regret that I could not continue further in this connection”.
Suddenly, I could sense his face becoming pale.
He started telling, “I had completed my tenth standard seventeen years back. I am Engineering graduate with triple “Es”.”
“Friend, in such a case, I hope you can better get employed as an engineer in any government department or a private organization. Normally persons with higher qualifications do not pay much attention in the training program and I do not require trainees having lesser interest”
He could not take back his eyes from me. He started becoming nervous for some time and I could find that he was afraid of not getting an admission for the training program. He wanted to reply immediately; however,  appeared struggling for words and  I thought that he might cry at any time.
However, he started telling, “Sir, I am the only boy in my family and I have three sisters. My father is a farmer earning very meager income. I could complete my engineering degree after a long financial struggle. My family members struggled for my studies because I was the only child in my family who paid much attention to the studies. They imagined that I could earn at least Rs. 15000 on completion of my graduation. But in reality I was not so. I could have walked into more than 200 organizations throughout the state. When I fould that I could not get a job as an Engineer even after five years of my completion of engineering graduation, I offered to work myself for a meager salary of Rs. 2000 per month in a company as a sales representative for selling their products. That too not lasted for more than six months. Since the company could not continue their business, I was compelled to go for the job hunt again. I had almost forgetten that I am engineering graduate. All my attention was towards getting a job – whatever it may be in order to take care of my old parents and to get my sisters married soon. I hope that I can start a mobile servicing unit once you permit me to attend the training course offered by you since I find that your way of conducting the training programs are reported to be good and I could also find that the training is offered free of cost”.
Without any hesitation, I admitted him to the program and he was one among the bright trainees who took keen interest in learning the entire skills of servicing mobile phones.
I recollected all my memories of the past and wearing a bright smile on my face, I asked him.
“How are you and what can I do for you, Edward?”
“Sir, with the help of your Rural Self Employment Training Institute by offering me a training on “Servicing of mobile phones.” I found that I had grown to a great extent both mentally and emotionally. With your guidance I had started a mobile servicing unit in my area a month back and on an average I am earning an amount of Rs. 600 a day. I could also remember, as to how, I had struggled for Rs. 2000 per month five years back. I am really thankful to you and your Institute for having promoted me as an entrepreneur and I have great hopes that sooner or later I will be one among the top entrepreneurs in the area”.
He gave me a leaflet which outlined the services offered by his servicing unit and he also invited me to pay a visit to his shop.
I saw him move out of my cabin briskly and confidently. I could recollect the words uttered by Paul Solomon:
“I believe you come into the world to accomplish something and not something small or insignificant. That is not worthy of you. You came here to make a major contribution to life in this planet”.



Sunday, May 18, 2014

IBPS BANK EXAMINATIONS – BANKING AWARENESS – PRACTICE TEST-013



01.   Treasury bills are one among the various financial instruments initially sold by___________
To raise funds
a)    Commercial banks; b) development banks; c) the government; d) corporations’ e) representatives belonging to state governments

02.   There are different money market instruments for raising funds from the market and the money lent for 15 days or more in the inter bank market is called as:
a)    Call money; b) notice money; c) term money; d) commercial paper; e) all the above

03.   According to you, the money lent for one day is called as
a)    Call money; b) notice money; c) term money; d) commercial paper; e) none of the above

04.   The specified interest rate on a fixed maturity security fixed at the time of issue is called as:
a)    Market rate of interest; b) call rate; c) repo rate; d) coupon rate; e) discount rate

05.   The money market in our country has been divided into organized sector and unorganized sector and which among the following do not fall under the unorganized sector category?
a)    Reserve Bank of India; b) All commercial banks including SBI group, nationalized banks, foreign banks; c) Life Insurance Corporation of India; d) Indigenous banks; e) General Insurance Corporation of India

06.   The money lent for more than one day; however, not more than fifteen days is called as:
a)    Call money; b) notice money; c) term money; d) commercial paper; e) none of the above

07.   A _________________is an institution which accepts deposits, makes business loans and other related services
a)    Development bank; b) savings bank; c) commercial bank; d) indigenous bank; e) local area bank

08.   _________________are those financial institutions engaged in the promotion and development of industry, agriculture and other key sectors
a)    Commercial banks; b) development banks; c) Reserve Bank of India; d) all the above; e) none of the above

09.   Money lenders and sahukars called as___________________collect deposits from the general public and grant loans to the needy persons out of their own funds as well as from deposits.
a)    Local area banks; b) Indigenous banks; c) commercial banks; d) development banks; e) none of the above

10.   Which among the following are the various functions of exchange banks?
a)    Remitting money from one country to another country; b) discounting of foreign bills; c) buying and selling gold and silver; d) helping import and export trade; e) all the above

11.   The main objective of _________________ is to give loans to consumers for purchasing the durables like motor car, television set, washing machine, furniture etc and the borrowers have to repay the loans in easy instalments
a)    Commercial banks; b) consumer banks; c) development banks; d) special banks; e) none of the above

12.   __________________attracts high rates of interest and longer the period of deposit higher is the rate of interest and it is also called as the time liability of the bank
a)    Fixed deposit; b) time deposit; c) term deposit; d) all the above; e) all the above

13.   A depositor can deposit his funds in ______________________any number of times he likes and can also withdraw the same any number of times he wishes
a)    Savings bank; b) current account; c) recurring deposit; d) both (a) and (b) as mentioned above; e) none of the above

14.   A depositor can deposit his funds in ___________________any number of times as he likes and can also withdraw the same any number of times he likes and as at present he earns no interest for the amount kept in the account
a)    Savings bank; b) current account; c) recurring deposit; d) fixed deposit; e) none of the above

15.   On this account, restrictions are imposed by the bank on the amount to be withdrawn by the depositor and the bank pays interest on this account although the rate of interest is less than the rate of interest payable in fixed deposit
a)    Recurring deposit; b) savings bank; c) current account; d) fixed deposit; e) none of the above
16.   _________________refers to that market wherein short term monetary assets are bought and sold and according to Reserve Bank of India, it is the centre of dealings mainly of short term character in monetary assets
a)    Money market; b) capital market; c) financial market; d) commercial market; e) short term market

17.   _________________is a mechanism that allows people to buy and trade financial securities such as stocks. Bonds, commodities and other fungible items of value at low transaction costs and at prices that reflect the efficient market hypothesis.
a)    Commodity markets; b) financial markets; c) capital market; d) all the above; e) none of the above

18.   When it comes to unorganized sector, which among the following is not true?
a)    Indigenous bankers; b) money lenders; c) chit funds; d) nidhis; e) cooperative bank

19.   Financial instruments provide short term and they include
a)    Commercial paper; b) hundies; c) certificates of deposits; d) promissory notes; e) all the above

20.    Banks borrow in this money market for the following purposes:
a)    To fill the gaps in temporary mismatches in funds
b)    To meet the cash reserve ratio and statutory reserve ratio – the mandatory requirements as stipulated by RBI
c)    To meet sudden demand for funds arising out of larger outflows
d)    All the above; e) none of the above

21.   When it comes to organized sector, which among the following is not true?
a)    Reserve Bank of India; b) Public sector commercial banks; c) private sector commercial banks; d) money lenders; e) cooperative banks

22.   Which among the following are called as financial instruments?
a)    Call money market; b) bill market; c) bank loans; d) all the above; e) none of the above

23.   When it comes to public sector commercial banks, which among the following is not true?
a)    State Bank of India; b) Nationalised banks; c) Regional Rural banks; d) Foreign banks; e) SBI associate banks

24.   Which among the following are participants in call/notice money market?
a)    Banks; b) primary dealers; c) development finance institutions; d) insurance companies; e) all the above

25.   ___________________refers to the market for government and semi government securities, backed by the RBI
a)    Gilt edged market; b) industrial securities market; c) primary market; d) secondary market; e) none of the above

26.   The industries securities market refers to the market which deals in:
a)    Equities; b) debentures; c) treasury bills; d) commercial paper; e) only (a) and (b) as above

27.   Which among the following is called as stock exchange?
a)    Gilt edged market; b) primary market; c) secondary market; d) old issues market; e) both © and (d) as above

28.   The initial public offer is connected to which among the following:
a)    Primary market; b) secondary market; c) old issues market; d) gilt edged securities market; e) none of the above

29.   Which among the following are the basic objectives of Securities and Exchange Board of India?
a)    Protecting the interests of investors in securities
b)    Promoting the development of securities market
c)     Regulating the securities market
d)    All the above; e) none of the above

30.   What are the main functions of Securities and Exchange Board of India?
a)    Regulating the business of the stock market and other securities market
b)    Promoting and regulating the self regulatory organizations
c)     Prohibiting fraudulent and unfair trade practices in securities market
d)    Promoting awareness among investors and training of intermediaries about safety of the market

e)    All the above


ANSWERS:
1-C
2-C
3-A
4-D
5-D
6-B
7-C
8-B
9-B
10-E
11-B
12-D
13-D
14-B
15-B
16-A
17-B
18-E
19-E
20-D
21-D
22-D
23-D
24-E
25-A
26-E
27-E
28-A
29-D
30-E