Everyone that owns a dog needs to know about the different ways that you can properly train your dog and teach them to be very well behaved, which they are totally capable of doing. In this article I want to discuss with you some of the important information regarding dog training techniques that can and will eventually help you to teach your dog. There are many different dog training schools where you could take your dog, so do not worry about things, you will have several different options to choose from. Some of these dog training schools are very expensive, so you should be well prepared to take care of these expenses in order to have your dog professionally trained. Each of these dog training schools all have pretty much the same thing in mind, high hopes of properly and efficiently training your pooch, however, they do all have their own little speciality training, depending on what your specific needs are for your dog and ofcourse it also depends on the age of your dog as well.

Most of the dog training courses usually last up to about ten weeks atleast, except for the training of puppies, they normally only would go to puppy training school, which is kind of like a preschool for dogs, for about up to six weeks. Generally at the end of any of the dog training courses there will also be some type of dog training test that your dog will actually be required to pass before they can “graduate” dog training school. These types of tests are definitely pretty complicated and in order for your dog to actually pass this type of test they will really need to be adequately, professionally trained in several other dog training courses. Once your dog has gone through several weeks of really tough training, and have also passed the last and final dog training tests, your dog will then be able to come back home and show off all of his new found structure and training skills, among many other things as well. You will be more than pleased by the results of the dog training school that you had sent them through and they will be so confident and proud of themselves and willing to show off in front of company constantly.
Dog training schools can definitely change your dogs entire persona, as well as giving the owner a tremendous feeling of happiness and thankfulness that they dog training school had it in them to really pull this off. It will totally be worth any amount of money spent and the results will seriously blow your mind, each and every time that you get to witness their wonderful, well trained behavior. The internet, along with talking to dog training professionals, is a great way to get information that is quite helpful, as well as getting so much helpful information regarding dog training, that can and will really help you out.

Dog training is very important if you would like to ensure that you and your new pet will be able to live in harmony. Dog training can correct or modify a number of the dog’s natural behaviors, making the dog much more suited to life being taken care of in your home. There are a number of different ways available to train your dog and by following these 7 basic dog training tips, you will find that the training goes smoothly and is fun for both you and your dog.

1. If you are unsure of how to train your dog, seek help.

Individuals that would like to train their dog often have no idea how dog training is conducted or how the personality of their dog will factor into the training process. There are a number of different books and reference materials available to help a person train their dog, and if the owner is still unsure or uncomfortable with the training methods, they can ask a professional dog trainer for assistance and additional dog training tips.

2. Negative reinforcement is the least effective training method.

One of the dog training tips that most dog training professionals wish more people knew is that using negative reinforcement or punishment to train the dog is the least effective way to get the dog to obey you, but is the most effective way of making the dog fearful or aggressive towards you and others.

3. Making dog training fun also makes the training more effective.

Another one of the most important dog training tips to remember is that dogs love to please and are eager to learn in all stages of life, so making the dog training fun for the dog not only makes the training more enjoyable but also makes the lesson easier to learn for your dog.

4. Don’t be afraid to use small treats as rewards.
Giving the dog a small treat for a job well done will not hurt the training process and will make the training more enjoyable for the dog. The treat chosen as the reward should only be given during the training process and on the successful completion of the task the dog was asked to do.

5. Research training products extensively before deciding which to purchase.

There are a large number of different training products on the market today and some of these products are intended for a specific use, not for general obedience training. Some of the products will have features that are not necessary to the training that you are trying to conduct, while some others may have features that will make your training sessions easier.

6. Dog training takes time.

Just as you didn’t learn how to read in a day, your dog will not master a command or a trick within the space of a day. It takes time for a dog to remember and execute a desired behavior after it has been introduced to them, so this important dog training tip is to give the training time to work and the dog time to understand what you are asking him to do.

7. If at first you don’t succeed, try again.

This last tip of the important dog training tips is that if your dog fails to understand a training method or a command, try a different teaching method. Just like different people learn in different ways, different dogs learn in different ways as well.

First Principles

Teach respect, a dog has to be taught to respect its owner. You have to be his leader and not let him be yours. As you communicate with your dog he learns to understand you, he will forever be willing to please. Once the dog knows you are his leader, he will be a happy follower by teaching your dog the basic training commands and discipline.

It is next to impossible to have a normal, well-behaved, even-tempered dog without discipline and some training. Once a dog is trained he is a better pet and greater companion, and he himself will be happier for knowing that his owner is pleased with him. There are many books devoted to discipline and training and free online resources for dog training than ever imaginable! There are also many great obedience-training classes for low cost to no cost, one for example is PetSmart and I highly recommend this form of training, it helps your dog or puppy learn to socialize as well as get his basic obedience training from a professional source, helping you and your dog learn together. You must be willing to accept the fact that if your dog fails the course and becomes a dropout, it is entirely your fault not the dogs. He is a willing subject, it is your complete responsibility to ensure you and he complete all training classes and continue to adhere to the lessons learned.

Any sincerely interested dog owner can train their dog, and it can be a most rewarding educational experience for both. Patience and consistency is the key to successful training, at times you will have to be firm, but gentle and always, always give praise for each and every one of his positive efforts.Basically dog training is built on reward, repetition, reprimand and again praise. Although it can be too early to begin training, it is never too late. Most puppies form a strong attachment to an individual which may persist or wane, and there is often a phase of disobedience and defiance. Discipline is needed during this crucial period, but it must be with patience and never overbearing or intimidating. Don’t listen to the old cliché “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. There is nothing further from the truth, I don’t for one moment believe that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, he can be taught new tricks and all the basic commands whatever his age.

 

It is bound to be a more difficult to break old habits like barking, chasing cars, sleeping on furniture etc., and can be resolved with proper training aids, such as no-bark collars, sonic bark control devices, citronella spray collars, indoor radio fences, and scat mats, if all other resources have been exhausted to resolve these and various other undesirable habits develop or exist. You and your dog must be relaxed before you begin any training session. He can and will know when you are tense or uncomfortable, he can’t learn while he is tense or timid and if your dog or puppy is showing signs of stubbornness or defiance they may be more resistant to teaching, but don’t give in, stay firm, consistent and have a routine, all animals are creatures of habit, so stay with the training. In essence complete relaxation is essential for both dog and trainer, also, make lessons fun for both you and your dog. He will learn much faster, and give you a greater reward for your training efforts, vise-versa.

 

Getting To Know Your Dog or Puppy

 

To train your dog or pup to the best advantage for both, you must get to know their personality, for example there are sensitive or shy dogs who squeal at the slightest noise with disciplinary action and the merest jerk of a training lead, grooming comb or word of discipline, causing you to hurt his feelings and mistrust. Take caution and try to understand this dog or puppy’s personality, this is vital to their mental health and needs to be taken in a very slow, easy manner. If a stronger, more aggressive training method is used with this type of personality it cannot be reversed, and will ultimately result in a very scared, confused pet. Then there is the more assertive type dogs, they may need a stronger form of training and attention spans may need to be focused on, “Fearless” Fun loving, and go for it types of dogs always pushing himself at you for your attention, he jumps on your guests, slobbers on them, forces his “Here I am” on you, your guests, children or the elderly. This personality may or may not need a more aggressive training method, depending on the breed and the owner’s training abilities.

Make the Lessons Fun

Dogs get bored with long training sessions. If you work them for over 20 minutes at a time, they will lose interest and stop listening to you. For a younger dog or puppy, 5 to 10 minutes is long enough for one training session. But do it frequently, and again with, praise or training reward treats.

Basic Dog Training Commands

(1) Leash Training: This is the first and foremost of all dog and puppy training. Say you need to take your pet to the Veterinarian for a check up…this cannot be done without a well leash trained dog or puppy. Work with your dog or puppy daily  DO NOT: pull, drag or force your dog to follow the leash, take it easy…..let them walk to you, stop…say “Good Dog” Reward them with a treat, and let them sit, then, pet, praise them. Give them time, always be patient, they will respond soon to your leash training, it is so very important not to scare them while leash training!!!! They will never feel safe with you!!
 

(2) Heel: You teach your dog to walk on you left side without pulling in front of you; he always walks beside you, comfortably, easily and will never pull at the leash. When he tries to walk in front of you, you jerk back on the lead and say the word “Heel”. Use this command with easy, gentle commands, do not “Yank” on the lead, be very, very gentle or this will cause your dog to become scared and try to bolt and make the “Heel” command frighten your dog, therefore, reversing your training and all trust established with your dog or puppy. Please always use good sense and respond to your dogs action or “Reaction” to “Leash and Heel” Training.

(3) Sit: Pull the leash straight up and while pushing down on his hindquarters, saying the word “Sit”. Most dogs learn this very quickly.

(4) Down: You don’t want your dog or puppy to jump on people, especially, elderly guests, children or anyone else that is coming to visit your home. Your dog needs to learn this after he is confident with his leash training. Grasp the leash or collar just under the dog’s neck and while gently pulling in the downward motion as you say, “Down”

(5) Stay: This is a very important command, as it can save your dog from a situation were harm or injury may occur, and this can be beneficial to the both of you. This command can save you or your dog from being hit by cars, or any other dangerous situation, this can your dogs life. To teach the “Stay” command put your dog in a sitting position and talk a few steps away, and if he attempts to come to you, firmly say “Stay” and stop walking, ask your dog to sit, and start again, keep repeating this procedure until he stays, this may take some time, remember keep the lessons short, and be consistent.

(6) Come: Be sure to do this with a leash or long lead. First put him on the “Stay” command, use the word “Come” and give the leash a light tug toward you, when he responds a comes to you give him praise and or a reward treat and repeat this lesson until your dog is responsive to the command, then you can remove the leash or lead and repeat the lesson. This is one of the easiest lessons dogs learn very quickly.  With all said and these simple, easy to follow training guidelines, you should have a long and happy relationship with your dog or puppy. Note: Never give up, be patient, consistent and always praise!!!! Love your dog like he loves you.

YOUR DOG

“He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog…..You are his life, his love, and his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy ofsuch devotion. “

Author unknown:

 

 

 

 

Maximum power is trained when the athlete works in a range of between 95-100% of their maximum intensity. All too often athletes perform these power training drills at a low intensity thus defeating the purpose of overloading the muscles and maximizing you time spent training. Plyometrics has become the standard for power development with many trainers.

Power is simply the combination of speed and strength. In recent years many athletes and coaches have thought of power training as plyometric training due to the popularity of the term. However, plyometric training is just one form of power training. Plyometric training refers to an athlete developing explosive movements through a concentric contraction (shortening of muscle) following an eccentric contraction (lengthening of muscle).

It is during this eccentric contraction that the maximum force generated by the muscle is attained. The amount of force generated by the muscles following an eccentric contraction is greater. How does this apply to making you faster? Well it is not only specific to the various movements involved in your sport but it allows you to develop a more explosive start which will help you to get to your destination more quickly.

It is the stored energy from an eccentric contraction when a muscle is stretched that is available during the following explosive concentric contraction. It is this stretching of the muscles prior to the explosive muscle contraction that is often referred to as the “loading phase.” The key point here to know is that the greater the load and the faster the load will result in a more powerful contraction.

One key aspect for athletes to know is that the concentric contraction must be immediate after the eccentric contraction otherwise a lot of this energy will be lost. For example if you want to increase your vertical jump you will bend down and then immediately explode upwards. However, you are unlikely to achieve such a height if you bend down, wait a few seconds and then jump upwards. Therefore an athlete must try to jump as soon as they can following the eccentric contraction. This process is often referred to the stretch-shortening cycle and is what plyometrics is built around.

Now transfer this over to how it can make you faster. It could make you faster in getting to a ball if you can time your jump rather than just waiting in a crouched position. It could allow you to be faster if you learn to take off following this phase rather that trying to take off from a crouched position. In tennis you could become faster if you hit the ball, land and recover and then learn to time your explosive start immediately from this position rather than a full upright or fully crouched position.

I found this to be true for the tennis players that I have trained. When waiting in the already crouched position on a return; I found out that they were slower to get off the mark compared to when they were able to time their forward movement. This is where learning the split-step the correct way will make you faster in getting to the ball.

Power training must be specific to the skill or movement that is being performed by the athlete. It is also important that when conducting power training that the load placed upon the body does not affect the actual specific sporting skill or movement. For example; you could where a weighted vest and try to perform a series of vertical jumps but if your specific movement patterns are effected then you are inhibiting the transferring benefit.

This is why when conducting plyometric exercises it is important to choose sport specific exercises with appropriate loading as there will be greater transference across in terms of physiological and learned adaptations.

Key plyometric exercises that help to improve speed include single leg hops, single leg bounding, pistol squats, double leg tuck jumps, double leg hops, alternate leg bounding, incline two leg bounding, zigzag hops or one legged lateral bounding, lateral jumps, squat jumps and split jumps, depth jumps, alternating step ups, double leg jumps and single leg box squats. Additional plyo-metric training method include ladder exercises, stair training, medicine ball exercises, kettle ball exercises, bounding over cones, bounding over mini-hurdles, jump/skipping rope and stadium hops.

One of my favourite exercises is running sand dunes! This is a killer workout and a great way to add extra resistance and variety to your training programs. I guarantee that if you are looking for a fun new way to train your athletes then take them down to the beach where there are some sand dunes. You can also include some sprint sessions along the beach followed by some swimming. Your athletes will be ready to sleep for hours after this work out. It is also fun for them to be outside on the beach. Just be sure to include a proper warm-up and warm-down into your session.

After spending many years with coaches from a variety of sports in developing and designing their fitness and conditioning programs; it was quite apparent that many coaches did not know how to properly implement a plyometric program. The key areas of concern were that many coaches were not completely educated on how to teach and instruct each plyometric exercises. Other factors included the equipment used was of the wrong shape, size and weight for the athlete, the surface that they were performing the exercises on were poor and dangerous, the athletes didn’t understand what they were working on or how it applied to their sport, athletes did not perform a proper warm-up prior to commencing a plyometric program, injuries were not reviewed prior to starting a plyometric training program, plyometrics were used at the wrong time of the season such as introducing new plyometric exercises during the competitive season, a strength base was not established first, some of the athletes were too young for plyometric training and many coaches did not know how many sets and repetitions to use.

Progression of exercises to develop speed include developing vertical drive – conducting plyometric exercises using cones and mini-hurdles will help to develop the vertical drive in athletes. Developing explosive hip power – one of my favorite modes of exercises for developing power, in particular hip power, is stair hops. The key with these exercises is to take away the use of the arms. One way to do this is to place your hands behind your head as you hop with two feet together up the steps. Developing explosive starts – this is where the various bounding exercises assist the athlete in developing speed by improving their explosive starts. Two of my favourite exercises are the single-leg and double-leg bounding followed by an immediate sprint. These exercises assist the athlete in pushing off the ground followed by a subsequent burst of speed over 10 metres.

Three main points in order to gain positive results from plyometric training are to develop a sound base of flexibility, develop a sound base of strength and to reduce the risk of injury by performing the proper technique for each exercise.
The following need to be identified and considered prior to an athlete commencing a plyometric training program: Age of the athlete, current or potential injuries, medical history, muscle imbalances, current strength of athlete, current speed of athlete, the athlete’s weight, the athlete’s experience and knowledge with power training and the surface that the exercises will be performed on.

The key variables that need to be considered with plyometric training include frequency of sessions, rest and recovery between sessions, overload, progression with intensity levels, progression with volume, what season the athlete is in (pre or post season), duration of the program or session, the specific demands of the sport, implementation of a thorough warm-up and your tournament schedule.

The following is how developing power can improve an athlete’s speed in a chosen sport such as tennis. The development of power in the game of tennis is most important to players at the higher levels. It is important to understand both components of power, which are the strength and speed aspects and how each relates to power development.

Power is also involved in all strokes and areas of the game of tennis. Power is particularly important in the explosive movement during the service motion, thus adding more “speed” to the serve. A faster serve will obviously be more effective and can help the player to develop the serve into a weapon.

Power is also extremely important to developing speed as it contributes to improved explosive starts and speed over short distances. Power development is one of the most neglected areas when training tennis players due to the lack of knowledge and understanding by coaches in how to train for “power.”

Include power drills that involve the use of some equipment such as a medicine ball, as well as some drills using ones’ own body weight for those programs that do not have access to the required equipment.

Injury Concerns with power training – It is extremely important to demonstrate proper technique in all power drills in order to prevent injuries. The development of power involves many “explosive” or “ballistic” movements and if performed incorrectly can often lead to injury. It is therefore important for the coach to fully understand how to demonstrate the skill, what they are trying to achieve, each player’s physical ability, and how to include power training into their fitness and conditioning programs. It is important, as with all fitness drills, that the coach follows any specific directions given by a player’s physician.

Power development is primarily directed towards the more advanced competitive athletes. When coaching younger athletes still in the developmental stages (both technically and physically) it is more important to use the time available to develop stroke technique, court positioning, scoring, and overall understanding of the game of tennis.

Power training needs to be specific to the movement involved. All of the major power movements have been identified and the following drills have been developed specifically for power development in tennis players.

Be sure to complete a needs analysis for each athlete identifying any possible injuries of concern. To minimize the risk of injury, it is important to conduct an aerobic warm-up and extensive stretching routine prior to performing these power training drills. Weights are used not only to develop absolute strength, but also strength-speed.

The simple jump exercises (such as single leg hops, two feet bounding, jumps for height or distance) are useful in developing the eccentric component of the forced stretch – contract phase. Perform these simple jump exercises prior to starting the more advanced exercises.

The training sessions should be progressive with each phase developing the player’s body sufficiently so that they can move onto the next phase of training. The ultimate goal is to be peaking for their competitive phase, so be sure to prevent stagnation by understanding what phase of training they are in. Include a variety of drills.

If you wish to increase you speed then you will need to incorporate some form of power training into your sessions. Speed is often defined over short distances and this is where you need that powerful and explosive acceleration to help make you faster.

There comes a time when your dog will no longer be as young as they used to be and more care and attention might be needed. Everyone and every living thing gets old at some point and there’s nothing anyone can do.

There are however, things that can help dramatically in keeping your dog young and healthy and to set them up for a much better and happier aging. Don’t wait till your dog is old before thinking of the care he will need, you need to constantly look after your dog’s health to stop any unnecessary suffering later on.

The main things that affect your dog’s later life are the diet he/she is on and the exercise they get, along with other less important needs such as grooming and others, feeding and exercise are the main factors in determining your dog’s health later in life.

So what can happen to your dog in later life I hear you ask? Well there are plenty of illnesses and situations that may occur with age because of things not working as well as they used to much the same as human illnesses. Middle age for a dog is around the seven years mark although it depends on dog size and this is when the dog’s body will gradually start to deteriate.
One of the most common of old age symptoms for dogs is hearing and sight deteriation, this can cause the dog to be much more frightened and feeling more vulnerable than they used to. Old Dog personalities may begin to change in affect to this making some more friendly and other more grumpy and snappy. Other old age side effects include putting on weight, weaker muscles and bones, memory loss and being less able to fight off infections and diseases.

Weight gain is a big issue in old dogs and needs to be monitored and acted upon often to make sure your dog doesn’t get unwanted problems through obesity.

In general, if you pet is getting old and you can see he/she is feeling the pain, then take them to the local vet to get advice on any questions you have and have them checked over by an expert.

Compliance with the FDA, the ISO, the EMEA, CLIA and additional regulatory bodies has long been a habit for successful life science companies. However compliance–like the unfortunate cat–can be skinned in more ways than one.

The Problem

Regulated life science companies are required to manage and record essential training processes which include those processes devoted to regulatory compliance training.

Some life science companies (e.g. pharmaceutical, medical device, laboratory, blood/tissue, etc.) choose to manage regulatory compliance training by employing agencies or by managing training processes in-house. Though both these methods of management are in many ways sufficient they tend to present some problems which–like most business problems–are directly related to the always important bottom line.

The Agency Method

Take for instance the agency method. This method is practical in the sense that many agencies KNOW EXACTLY what they are doing. They’ve paved the road, planted the road signs and yes, they are asking for tolls—expensive tolls. Not only are their tolls often expensive but they are also iterative which equates to large training budgets that must be utilized annually, every 6 months or even more frequently. For some life science companies agencies seem to be the only option, but these companies could be reaping the benefits of a more effective solution.

The In-House Method

For other companies in-house training is all the rage. Training managed from within a company usually has the purpose of spending less essential revenue. However, many of the implemented in-house methods for regulatory compliance training management potentially present even weightier financial burdens than agency methods because training management personnel waste time keeping track (manually) of dozens or even hundreds of employees. For example, the training manager has to know whether Jane and Ben have completed their quarterly training, their annual training and their “unexpected” SOP training while simultaneously managing and maintaining all training records. Multiply this process by 100 employees+ and it’s easy to imagine the amount of pain killer required to douse this training headache!

Don’t forget however that wasted hours are funneled in other directions as well. The infamous paper problem is a prime example. For instance, many employees manage training related forms and documentation (tasks, follow-ups, SOP changes, quality manuals, exams, etc.) with hard copy paper and the costs and the hassles inevitably build up fast. Not only are hard copy records difficult to locate, track and file, they also take up valuable storage space and are likely—via pure frustration—to lower employee morale.

For some companies, in-house regulatory compliance training seems like the only solution, but these companies could also reap the benefits of a better solution.

A Combined Solution with a Twist of Technology

The best characteristics of the systems for regulatory compliance training (and other types of training) mentioned above can be combined with technology for a more efficient–and in the long run–less costly solution. The positive characteristics of the agency method for example is knowledge availability and the positive characteristic of the in-house method is the goal rooted in economic success. These characteristics, when combined with the appropriate technology can help create a recipe for regulatory compliance training success.

A Recipe for Regulatory Compliance Training Success

1) First, the knowledge of regulatory compliance training is essential. Without know-how, training is futile. However, agencies are too expensive with their iterative costs so why not set aside funds for an in-house training manager who has a knowledge (or a potential to gain that knowledge) of regulatory compliance training requirements and a knack for managerial success.
2) Though this in-house training manager will have the knowledge, he or she won’t necessarily know how to “spread it around” without spending large dollar amounts. He or she needs to focus on low expenditures. This is where the right technology can begin to streamline electronic regulatory compliance training processes.

3) Last but not least the right technology must be utilized to streamline the training process so the training manager can focus on the training information instead of the tedious training tasks and procedures. To do this, companies should search for a reasonably priced solution to automate their overall training system.

For example, companies should search for a solution that can provide the following features and benefits:

• Automates the routing of information related to training;

• Automates the tracking of training information;

• Automates follow-ups;

• Automated notices for new training assignments;

• Automated completion notices delivered to trainees;

• New training assignments can be automatically triggered when essential SOPs, quality manuals, work instructions or additional company documents are edited or significantly altered;

• Provides reporting features;

• Provides analytics features;

Conclusion

For regulated life science companies, regulatory compliance training management is no simple undertaking. It can be significantly less troublesome however with knowledge, an eye on a company’s bottom line and a reasonably priced web-based solution.

Train travel in India is the most popular mean of transport in the country. In fact, train travel is the best way to explore India and experience the country’s diversified culture and people at its best. It is said that any trip to India is incomplete without experiencing train travel, which is provided by the Indian Railways. A government body, Indian Railways operates trains to almost every part of the country including big cities and small villages.

Train travel in India is cheap, reliable, safe, comfortable and exciting as well. One can reach his or her desired place by boarding a train for the particular destination according to the train schedule. In addition to plains, Indian Railways provides train travel services to hilly areas. Trains operating in the hilly areas are called the ‘Toy Train’ or ‘Mountain Railways’, and they run on the narrow gauge track passing through winding hills.

Indian Railways offers train travel service as per the set train schedule in various classes such as common seating, chair seating, sleeper class and air-conditioned, etc. You can travel on Indian Railways trains as per your choice. The trains have been categorised as passenger, mail or superfast, according to their boggies, route, amenities and speed. For travelling in Indian trains, passengers need to follow the train schedule and book train tickets for the respective destinations.

Information about train schedule is available online on Indian Railways official website. Besides, the information like Indian Railways timetable and train schedule are also available on the website. Every year, in the month of July Indian Railways timetable is fixed for trains running on the different routes and it remains valid till the end of June. Hence, for avoiding any type of last minute train travel chaos, it is better to have the complete information about Indian Railways timetable.
Train passengers can find the information on Indian Railways timetable and train schedule by buying a copy of the book ‘Trains at a Glance’. In addition to Indian Railways timetable, train travel and train schedule, the book carries information like how to book train tickets. Before booking train tickets and for other related information it is advisable to buy a copy of the book ‘Trains at a Glance’, available at all important railway stations. You can also find the guidelines for booking train tickets by surfing the Indian Railways official website.

For train travel in India with ease it is necessary to book train tickets in advance. One can book train tickets from the computerised reservation counters available at almost all the railway stations across the country. In addition, train tickets can also be booked online through the IRCTC official website. Through IRCTC website you can plan your train travel in accordance to Indian Railways timetable and book train tickets.

TV: Hi David, thanks for taking the time for this interview because I know how busy you are and that, among other projects, you run a training studio in Tacoma, you’re a wrestling coach and you keep a full client load. I’ve known you for a couple years now through the Internet and the emails we’ve sent to each other and you’re very well known within the fitness industry – especially in the sports training field. But on the off chance that some of the people listening to this interview don’t know who you are, would you give us a quick introduction and tell us little bit about your background, how you got started in this field and how you spend your time now?

DG: Well I was always a sports enthusiast my entire life. I can remember I was the only 9-year-old watching Monday night football and taking stats. I did all the usual sports – football, soccer, wrestling, swimming, baseball and tennis. Never did much with basketball. Being a genetically “blessed” Italian, I didn’t think the height requirement was going to be on my side. I excelled at wrestling. That sport alone taught me about nutrition, supplements, work ethic etc. I really have to thank wrestling for getting me into this field. I now coach high school wrestling, baseball and youth football. I keep really busy with my 3 children, Addision (13) Garrison (10) and my little man Carson (7). I taught school for a couple of years and then decided to go into personal training.

TV: You have quite a few certifications, one of them is certified personal trainer, one is certified golf trainer – or “golf “biomechanic” to be exact – but what is a “Corrective High Performance Exercise Kinesiologist?

DG: That’s an intense certification program where you learn from one of the foremost experts in the conditioning field, Paul Chek, who personally developed and cultivated the program. The certification revolves around the dynamics of kinesiology, physiology, functional anatomy and mind – body – spirit relationships. The program has four levels and I’m currently a level II, where we learn physical assessment, posture analysis, gait analysis, primal movement patterns, length-tension testing and range of motion testing. My Golf biomechanic certification is also from the CHEK institute. This is where we learn how the relationship between muscles and muscle groups affect the golf swing and how to improve it. In the winter of 2002 I also became one of the first Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaches from the CHEK institute. This program was developed to help practitioners deal with nutritional and lifestyle needs of their clients. The certification teaches how symptoms of disease and stress can be prevented through diet, exercise and stress management. I’m currently a level II Nutrition and lifestyle coach.I can‘t say enough about how Paul has helped me become a better trainer and person. There is more to this than just exercise.

TV: And I understand that there’s only a small handful of people who have those credentials, is that right?

DG: Yes, I think, at last count about 1000 have received a CHEK certification but there are only about 35 in the world with all three certifications including the level two’s. So it all costs time, energy and brain work Tom, but for someone who wants something different and out of the box thinking, it’s great. Not to take away from any other certification programs; heck, I love the ISSA, Ian King, Charles Poliquin and many others…

TV: That’s impressive, congratulations. So if I understand your philosophy correctly, the big difference between you and other trainers and especially trainers who only do bodybuilding and nothing else, is that you help your clients not only look good, but also with functionality, performance and correcting existing injuries or potential problem areas or imbalances that could lead to injuries in the future. Did I miss anything or would you say that’s a pretty good description?

DG: That’s right…you have to evaluate your client thoroughly for strengths and weaknesses to get the best results. Sometimes without a good evaluation you can miss something that could help prevent or fix an injury or cause someone not to excel.

TV:I think it’s really important what you’re teaching people because as a bodybuilder myself, when I first started many years ago, the ONLY thing I cared about was looking good and having muscles and abs and low body fat, but true fitness is a lot more than just looking good. For one thing it’s health above all else. In addition to that, if you don’t have strong, flexible and balanced development, then sooner or later, you’re going to get injured or you’re going to find that you can’t enjoy the sports or recreation activities you want to, and ultimately you might even find yourself restricted from normal daily activities like squatting, bending and lifting things around the house, which is exactly what happens to most people when then get older. But still, the fact is, everyone wants to look good, they want the six pack; they want muscle definition. So how do you balance the form aspect – the looking good part – with the function aspect – which is the strength, flexibility, balance and performance part?

DG: I believe we develop from the inside out. If you have good insides, you will have a good outside. What I mean is that diet, nutrition and water intake have a great deal to do with how good you look on the outside. So to look good – the “form” part – I start with overseeing my client’s dietary intake. I don’t go as far as telling them exactly what to eat, but I give a lot of suggestions. As for the “function”, I always think of the body as a whole, not as parts. Yes, if you’re a bodybuilder and that is your gig, then heck yes, think in parts. This really depends on the client and their goals, but you always need proper flexibility, strength and balance in the whole body as a unit.

TV: You train regular people and you also train professional athletes, especially boxers and golfers. Is there a big difference in how athletes and regular people should train?

DG: Each of them has distinct differences. So to plop down a “canned program” for everyone would lead to failure and would reflect poorly on me. I take each client one at a time. In my Flatten Your Abs e-book, I provide many different levels so each individual can pick the level that fits them best when they start out. Everyone is not equal. The boxers in general, are more athletic, so one big difference is that I change their program more often to keep them fresh. Let’s say I have 6 weeks before a tough fight, I may change the workout 3 – 4 times. Their nervous systems are highly adaptable and need the change. Someone who just wants to start a basic weight-training program could stay on the same program for the entire 6 weeks and get results. This is because their nervous systems are not as highly developed.

TV: Lets talk about six pack abs and flat stomachs, because that’s another one of your specialty areas and that’s what I really wanted to focus on in this interview the most. You wrote a course on abdominal training- it’s called FIRM AND FLATTEN YOUR ABS and you’re now offering it as an e-book download on the Internet and it’s starting to get really popular. What made you decide to write a book about abdominal training when there’s already so much information out there?

DG: Hmmm.…to be honest it was my friend Don Lemmon. He invited me to write a chapter about core conditioning in his book, and I said “sure”. One thing lead to another and that one chapter developed into an entire e-book of my own. I had never done an entire book before with editing, pictures and so on, but I just took a lot of the information I had learned from experience and from all my mentors, put my head down, went to work and wrote the FIRM AND FLATTEN YOUR ABS e Book. It took me about 3 months. I guess one of my main motivations for writing it was because there is so much bad information and so many bad abdominal machines and devices out there…

TV: I noticed you don’t recommend ANY sit ups in your course. Why is that?

That’s correct. After studying many greats like Vladimir Janda, Diane Lee, Paul Chek, Richardson and Jull, I discovered that the hip flexors (illiopsoas) are frequently overworked and that can lead to muscle imbalances and low back pain. So I said, why continue aggravating the problem with sit ups? In my e book this is a topic I cover in detail.

TV: So why are sit ups still so popular and why are they still used as a standard exercise in fitness testing and for sports or military conditioning? Is there ever any reason that anyone would want to do sit ups or in your opinion is that an exercise you should NEVER do?

DG: People are hard to change, Tom. But once you learn what can happen from overusing exercises like sit ups, you’d be doing yourself (and trainers their clients) a disservice by continuing this practice. Many studies have also shown the hip flexors are recruited to do most of the work, so sit ups are not only ineffective but they can also strain your back. Now to be fair, there are correct ways to do a sit up. One is to take the Law of Reciprocal Inhibition into account. That means if one muscle is working, the other must relax. So if you’re doing sit ups, you contract your hamstrings and glutes by pushing your lower legs against someone’s hands, small dumbbells or over a heavy weighted barbell. This will shut off the illiopsoas and your abs will feel it in the morning because they are now doing more of the work.If I prescribe sit ups, I simply have my clients do Janda sit ups. For the e book, I left out sit ups completely because of the overuse and injury potential situation.

TV: Are there any other ab exercises that are really common in the gym but you wouldn’t recommend to your clients?

DG: Unfortunately, many of the abdominal exercise gadgets on the market are ineffective and sometimes even unsafe. I would stay away from the Ab Roller or Torso Track because these machines can create muscle imbalances. I’m also not a fan of machine crunches because these machines – like all machines – stabilize your body and isolate the rectus abdominis, which doesn’t allow for true functional movement. Let’s see, what else? Russian twists on a roman chair with a plate sound like a good way to ruin your lumbar spine. Torso twists on a machine fall in that category too.

TV: Yeah, those rotary torso machines are always being used in every gym I’ve ever been in. What about the ab machines you see on TV – ANY of them any good?

DG: The infomercial ads on TV try to make the machines and devices seem new, fun and easy. Everyone wants nice abs fast and easy. But nice abs do not come in a machine! The first step is a not a machine, it’s a proper diet based on the individual. I would say your E book Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle is one of the best on the shelves these days when it comes to nutrition and the motivational techniques to stay on the plan.

TV: So what’s probably on everyone’s mind now is that if sit ups and most machines are out, that must leave crunches as the exercise of choice right?

DG: Yes and No – crunches have become more popular because of the popularity of ab rollers and crunch machines. But like sit ups, crunches are overused and misused – frequently! Floor crunches also limit your range of motion compared to using a Swiss ball.

TV: A lot of people wonder about those giant exercise balls – You call them Swiss balls, some people call them stability balls – I noticed you included quite a few ball exercises in your course. What’s so great about those things?

DG: Simple…it places more demand on the neurological system and that makes the abdominal workout more effective. According to some studies, the recruitment of the abdominals was almost double when the subjects used the Swiss ball. The oblique’s contribution was increased by over 4 times due to the Swiss ball. You also get an extra 15 degrees range of motion doing crunches on a Swiss ball compared to floor crunches. Plus, have you ever done an advanced exercise on a Swiss ball? You sweat more and breathe more heavily. Why, because your nervous system and entire body are working harder to do all the stabilizing work. For example, the Prone Bridge exercise forces the rest of your body to stabilize you so you don’t fall off the ball. Think of it as a light switch turning on.

TV: So using a Swiss ball “flips the switch on your nervous system,” I’ve never heard anyone put it that way before… Interesting. So what are a few of your personal favorite exercises for developing a good-looking and strong set of six pack abs?

Well, my system starts with good neurological programming of the core muscles. Build the base and then add layers. Some of the exercises I personally like are:
* Prone Ball Roll

* Lateral Ball Roll

* Prone Jackknife on swiss ball

* Swiss ball Side Flexion

* Forward Ball Roll

It’s easier to see them than to try and describe them, so if you want a visual, you can see the pictures here On This Web Page. You can also see a total of 42 exercises including about a dozen ball exercises in my e-book, Flatten Your Abs and that includes multiple photos of each movement showing start and finish positions.

TV: Alright, next subject: what’s the deal on training abs every day – you hear different opinions on this all the time – are you supposed to work them daily or not? And why?

DG: There are different opinions on this. Personally, I think they should NOT be trained each day. There are situations where you could train muscle groups on consecutive days, like when you work different sections of the abs. I stand by the philosophy of lower abs first, obliques and then the rectus abdominus. Why? Each takes a different degree of neurological programming. But in general, I follow a less is more philosophy for abs. I don’t want people getting over trained and injured. A good diet combined with an effective exercise program designed for the individual is the key for fat loss. Add in a good core exercise program such as Firm and Flatten Your Abs and you have the recipe for success.

TV: Okay, here’s another burning question that’s on everyone’s mind: A lot of people do abdominal exercises every day because they think that will burn the fat of the stomach. You and I know that doesn’t work. For the record, would you explain exactly why ab exercises don’t burn fat off your abs?

DG: For one thing, fat is stored all over your body and the distribution of fat stores is mainly genetic. Men tend to store body fat in their mid section first. Women have a hard time losing the hip and leg weight because of child-bearing genetic code. Second, and most important, abdominals come from low body fat and low body fat comes from good nutrition, not specific exercises. I really believe that you are what you eat. If you are “dirty” on the inside, you will be “dirty” on the outside.

TV: Ok, let’s talk about core training now. A lot of people have heard of core training because it has now filtered into the mainstream, with best selling books, videos and exercise classes at health clubs and so on, but for the people who still don’t know what core training is could you give a simple explanation?

DG: Training the core is a very important issue for all people of all ages. There are two different muscular systems at work when dealing with core conditioning. They are referred to as the inner unit, which consists of the transverse abdominis, diaphragm, multifidus and pelvic floor these are deep abdominal muscles and are important to core stability and function. Then there are the outer unit muscles, which are all the prime movers of our skeleton system. You must get the inner unit working well before you embark on a hard core conditioning program.When conditioning your core, think of yourself as a big top spinning with everything emanating from the middle (core) out. If you wobble in the middle, you will, in theory, become off balance and fall over faster. This sets yourself up for decreased performance and increased injury potential. Show me a weak core and I will show you many orthopedic injuries. Remember, getting injured should never be part of an exercise program. To prevent injury, develop a base and concentrate on building a functional inner unit. Protecting the spine is high on the hierarchy of survival. To protect the spine and its important function, we must understand what makes the inner and outer unit muscles work. Working the inner unit muscles simply leads to better core control.Your ability to respond to situations in everyday life from bending down to get your keys you dropped on the ground to putting your baby in his or her crib will be greatly enhanced when you have trained this system correctly. An important point I’d like to make is that most people do not get a good evaluation before starting a core training program. People just jump right into a core conditioning class or advanced movements they see in a magazine and this leads to many orthopedic injuries. I’m not saying they need a PhD in functional anatomy, but they should know what type, how much and how long they should do each and every exercise.

TV: You talk about functional training and functional movement in your program – what’s that all about?

DG: Functional training is popular today as it well should be. It really revolves around integrated, multi-dimensional movements that sometimes change speed in all planes of motion. I don’t want to get into a deep discussion about exercise kinesiology or biomechanics, so just think of everyday life: How many leg extensions or leg curls do you perform in everyday life as compared to squats? Squatting down is a natural, everyday movement. In other words, it’s “functional.” I strongly suggest avoiding the overuse of machines and starting to design your training in a functional manner.

TV: You also mention the word “integration” frequently through out your book, what do you mean by that?

DG: This is connected to the functional training I was just talking about. Like I said before, it means we do not condition or train by isolating muscles. We bring together all the muscles of the body to work as a unit – that’s integration. Try to do a bicep curl on a machine, then do a curl with a single heavy dumbbell. You will notice right away that your entire body must stabilize and work together for you to curl that dumbbell.There are times you have to break this law, such as after knee surgery when you will not squat until you’ve done some leg extensions with the physical therapist, or in the case of bodybuilders who intentionally isolate, but those are the exceptions not the rule.

TV: On your www.flattenyourabs.net web page, you say that your program will help prevent and even eliminate back pain. Why do you think so many people have back pain, what does ab training have to do with it and how does your course help eliminate back pain or help avoid getting it in the first place?

DG: Great questions. Most back pain comes from the inability to stabilize the spine. We are designed to sit upright and move, not sit all day long. Did you know that sitting acutely raises pressure between each spinal segment? Each segment has stabilizer muscles (the multifidus). When we perform our desk job or sit at computers your stabilizer muscles do not have to work as hard, so they become weaker. Why would they work when that 300 dollar chair does it for them? Then we think we can go out and play 18 holes of golf and POW the back goes out! Do this experiment: Sit on a Swiss ball fitted for your height and you will notice a big difference in the way you sit at your desk. You excite those spinal muscles to do their jobs. There are plenty of exercises to help with this with in the e book. To get relief from minor back pain or to prevent back pain in general you must work the entire inner unit and core muscles.

TV: You were talking earlier about developing a base and adding layers. I know that a lot of people start a strength training program to look and feel better but their workouts actually cause injuries and back problems because they use bad form or they pick exercises that are too advanced for their level of fitness. In your program, I noticed you have the routines set up in levels of difficulty – 7 levels actually – and you talk about the importance of developing the right foundation with simple conditioning exercises for the first few weeks, then gradually moving into the more challenging movements. How do you know where to start and which exercises to choose and which to avoid so that you don’t hurt yourself by doing something over your head? I mean, I know you wouldn’t train one of your overweight clients on their first workout the same way you train your pro boxers, right?

DG: There are some simple abdominal tests in the eBook that will give every person a baseline to start. For as long as I’ve been doing this I have found very few people – even good athletes – that pass the tests the first time. Each person should start at the beginning. The question is how long do you stay at each level. An athlete will advance faster due to a better integrated nervous system. But everyone should start off slow!

TV: David, if there’s so much misleading and false information on abdominal machines and fat reduction on TV and in the magazines these days, how do they keep getting away with it and why don’t more people know about the techniques you teach?

DG: Some people do know about the types of training I use, just not the mainstream yet. Also many of the ads for ab training call for minimum work. …Flat abs in 3 minutes a day is quite appealing to most couch potatoes, so they keep buying it.

TV: I agree totally. I saw that they have “six second abs” now and people are actually buying this stuff. Ok, one last question. I know your eBook has dozens of ab training and fat loss tips, and you’ll probably say, “Just buy the book,” but would you indulge us and tell us three of your most important secrets for getting firm and flat abdominals?

DG: Sure… ONE, Get a proper evaluation. I would suggest looking up a CHEK practitioner in your area. There are many things that can help you with rock hard abs. But without knowing your metabolic type, stress levels, food intolerance, eating proper organic foods to avoid pesticides, chemicals and so on, you could go round and round and never get those abs. In other words, fix your insides so you outsides look great! TWO, do not stop learning – continue educating yourself. Most plans are doomed from the start because people tend to want the quick fix so they fall for gimmicks that with a little education they would know better.THREE, follow the exercises with proper form. Do not just go through the motions to get the reps done.

TV: This has been great David, definitely very enlightening and again, I really appreciate your time, thank you. If someone wants to contact you or if someone wants to order a copy of your e-book where can they find it?

DG: Well Tom, thank you and thanks for your great web sites and information. You’re a great person to work with and I salute your commitment to natural fitness and health. I can be reached at my website and you can also get the full information about the FIRM AND FLATTEN YOUR ABS program there as well. The site URL is:Learn here

Training is a powerful improvement technique that offers tremendous benefits when it’s judiciously used. This article discusses management’s role in supporting the many factors that influence how well people transfer to their jobs any training they receive. Management’s support is essential to assuring the long-term return on any training investment.

First, keep in mind that training embodies the how-to information people need to effectively perform in their jobs, presuming that their natural talents are a good fit for their responsibilities. Although training is appropriate for bridging real knowledge gaps, there are many situations in which it might not be helpful. These include circumstances in which people already have sufficient job knowledge, but are being impeded by other circumstances.

Even when it’s justified, training is an expensive and ephemeral way to close a performance gap. It’s expensive because it takes people away from their regular work and often involves development, logistics, and support costs. It’s ephemeral because of its fragile and short lifespan within people’s brains. That’s why learners need considerable follow-up support to make use of training.

For these reasons, here are some important tips that management can use to ensure long-lasting training success.

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Transferring Training to the Job Requires More than Luck

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The term “transfer of training” refers to the ability of learners to apply their new knowledge and skills to real-world situations, particularly in the workplace. If trainees cannot apply what they’ve learned to their jobs, their training time and investment will have been wasted!

Training transfer “success factors” include, but are not limited to:

– A compelling, mission-based training purpose

– Learners’ attitudes toward the training process

– The design and relevance of instructional materials

– The presence or absence of obstacles to productivity

– Working conditions that support and encourage the desired outcomes

– Budget and schedule allocations that enable learners to practice skills

– The availability of necessary tools, resources, equipment, and job aids

– The level of management support for the immediate use of the training

– The amount of post-training motivation, practice, and guidance provided

Below are two of several critical steps managers can take to ensure that training transfer occurs.

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Step 1: Determine Organizational Needs that Require Training

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Training programs are most effective when they directly address organizational problems or opportunities.

Whenever it’s clear that training can support a compelling organizational need, learners will take it more seriously, and it will be far easier to justify and calculate a return on investment.

So, identify the critical business issues related to proposed training in terms of:

– Problems: For example, a high rate of customer complaints; dwindling sales, the risk of losing certification; or poor product quality.

– Opportunities: For example, expanding into new markets; improvements to products or processes to increase profitability; anticipated regulatory changes; or achieving industry certifications.

Next, answer the following regarding the identified problems or opportunities:

1) What outcomes should this training produce? Sample outcomes include increased product sales; decreased customer complaints; better designs of process experiments; more accurate defect analysis summaries; supervisors regularly coaching their employees.

2) To which projects, products, and processes would the training pertain? Example: The assembly process for part 456 on the satellite project.

3) What risks would be incurred if the identified outcomes were delayed? For example, would there be an imminent loss involving a safety hazard, a product failure, or customer departure; or would a product rollout be delayed, a certification requirement missed, or a planned market repositioning stalled?

4) What alternatives to the instruction exist, if any? Can you satisfy the need for improvement using other approaches, instead of, or in addition to, training? You might discover through this analysis that training is not the answer, or is only part of the answer, to desired improvement as explained in this article.

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Step 2: Carefully Plan the Instructional Experience

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Describe the characteristics of the instruction that would result in the outcomes listed above:

1) Identify a training objective for each outcome or desired achievement level. Training objectives involve three parts: a condition, an action, and a standard or criterion. 

For example, “Given a new customer telephoning with questions [a condition], be able to provide fast and accurate product information [an action] to comply with standards on the customer support checklist [a criterion].”

2) List any pre-course assignments that learners must complete. For example, list required readings, exercises, assessments, and surveys.

3) Indicate the learner’s commitments before, during, and after training. Example: Activities before instruction might require 10 hours to complete; the commitment during instruction might require 30 hours; and practice, support, and evaluation sessions afterward might require up to 40 hours.

4) List reference aids and materials that learners will receive. For example, list manuals, tools, textbooks, procedures, and quick reference guides.

Next, have the employee and supervisor (or manager) complete a learning contract to spell out all of the commitments each is making to help ensure optimal learning, before, during, and after the instruction. Use a separate contract for each employee.

In conclusion, management’s lead role in establishing a compelling training need and requesting a mutual commitment is essential to learner success. Making these success parameters explicit can help management support training transfer in a methodical and systematic way.

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SADAKET MALIK

FOR VOCATIONAL education and training in India, some 17 ministries and departments are involved in the provision and financing, with total annual training capacity of about 28 lakh (2,800,000) students. But as with many matters managed by our governments, the vocational training system is full of superlatives and potential on the one hand and inefficiency, on the other. The so called agencies have put their slogans only in their printed guidelines and handouts without taking into account the real target populace. In this age of liberalisation, India is still far from training people in different specialisations.

Vocational training is to impart specialised skills and knowledge and instilling social and political attitudes and behaviour patterns essential for successful economic activities by people engaged in dependent employment, self-employment or subsistence work. Vocational training can be of various types, depending on the way it has been acquired.

’Formal training’ refers to all training courses held in state or private (but state-certified) institutions regulated by state guidelines. ’Non-formal training’ covers all forms of training that takes place without being subject to state guidelines. In-company apprenticeships, both in formal or informal sector enterprises, is one of the most common forms of non-formal training. This kind of training also includes all programmes and projects offering skills-upgrading for those already active on the labour market, but who wish to extend their competencies by attending evening or weekend courses. There are no prerequisites for anyone to acquire vocational training. Both men and women can get trained at any time during their life. Studies have already proven that formal education is not a prerequisite for acquiring practical skills for income-generation, especially in the context of the informal sector. However, India’s formal vocational training system often creates minimum educational prerequisites leading to exclusion of those with lower levels of education.

In India, vocational education falls under the charge of the ministry of human resources development (MHRD). The ministry oversees vocational courses being offered in schools in 11th and 12th standard, under a centrally sponsored scheme called ’Vocationalisation of Secondary Education’ since 1988. Only the schools affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) offer the courses in accordance with the board’s scheme of studies and the course structure. The courses are of two-years duration and span six major disciplines, like dairying, farm machinery and equipment (agriculture), accounting and auditing (business and commerce), electrical technology, air conditioning and refrigeration (engineering and technology), X-Ray technician, health care and beauty culture (health and para medical) and preservation of fruits and vegetables, food services and management (home sciences and humanities).

Vocational training, on the other hand, broadly refers to certificate level crafts training (in India) and is open to students, who leave school after completing anywhere from grades 8-12. Programmes administered under the craftsmen training scheme (CTS) are operated by Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and Industrial Training Centres (ITCs). This scheme falls within the purview of the directorate general of employment and training (DGET), under the ministry of labour and employment (MOLE).

At a higher level, the technical education and vocational training system in India produces a labour force through a three-tier system — graduate and post-graduate level specialists (eg, Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and engineering colleges) trained as engineers and technologists; diploma-level graduates, who are trained in polytechnics as technicians and supervisors; and certificate-level craft people trained in it is, as well as through formal apprenticeships as semi-skilled and skilled workers.
The government of India in recent years has laid a lot of emphasis on streamlining vocational education so that it fulfills the emerging need of the market by focusing on employability skills. In consonance with this thrust, the CBSE has introduced a course in financial market management (FMM), under vocational stream, which is likely to be renamed as professional education and training. In the budget speech 2007-08, Union finance minister announced a scheme for upgradation of 1396 government ITIs into centres of excellence in specific trades and skills through public private partnership. In pursuance of this announcement wide-ranging discussions were held with state governments, industry associations and other stakeholders and a scheme named ’Upgradation of 1396 Government ITIs through Public Private Partnership’ was formulated.

The cabinet committee for economic affairs (CCEA) of the Union cabinet in its meeting held on October 25, 2007 has approved this scheme ‘in principle’ for the XI five year plan period and has given financial approval for one year for upgradation of the first batch of 300 ITIs at a cost of Rs 774.5 crore.

The directorate general of employment and training (DGE&T) in the ministry of labour, government of India initiated CTS in 1950 by establishing about 50 ITIs for imparting skills in various vocational trades to meet the skilled manpower requirements for technology and industrial growth of the country. One of the main reasons for the lack of market responsiveness among vocational training courses is the limited or no participation of the industry in contributing to curricula development. It is the industry which has to finally employ the training graduates. Hence, their mandate in determining what their future employees need to be taught can hardly be overemphasised. There are some rare cases of industry participation, as members of institute management committees (IMCs) for ITIs. But even such participation has been found to namesake, at best.

Studies have only reinforced the fact that the majority of workers in the unorganised economy of India have never been to vocational training institutions and/or school. On the other hand, the formal skills training system, because of its educational entry requirements and long duration of courses, is designed to exclude the underprivileged informal sector workers.

Yet, given the vast size of India’s informal workforce, the need to address the skills of informal sector workers is more pressing than any other.

One of the weaknesses of Indian education system is that it does not gives due importance to vocational education. As a result, there is a mismatch between the skilled manpower required and skilled manpower available. Every year we churn out millions of graduates, who do not have the specific skill sets required by the market. If this trend continues, it would hurt our economic growth in the long run. To change this situation, first we need to change our mindset. In India, people are obsessed with attaining a graduation degree and generally look down upon vocational education. This has resulted in a situation, where on the one hand there are scores of unemployed graduates and on the other hand there is a huge shortage of skilled workers, such as plumbers, electricians, etc. And this must change.

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