Staff Training Events & Applying For Staff Development Funds - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Collins Practice Tests For IELTS 2 General Training Reading Test 2 · Part 2 · Questions 15–25
Reading Passage
Read the information below and answer Questions 15–25.
Staff training events
A Efficiency training
A better understanding of time management and time management techniques can make you more effective in your work, enabling you to achieve more in fewer hours and giving you time to relax properly. This course is a blend of online materials that will let you try things out before you have a short face-to-face session.
B Performance review for reviewees
As an employee, it is your responsibility to get the best out of your work so that your team functions at its full potential. This course will develop the skills you need to understand your performance review and focuses on the company policies which must guide you in your work. Presentation, DVD and group discussion will be used to give you an opportunity to practise in a supportive environment.
C Health and safety
This online course provides basic information about health and safety in the company and helps you to understand your responsibility to keep yourself safe, look out for the safety of others, and co-operate with other departments in the company in an emergency.
D Diversity and equality training
The company aims to provide a work environment free from unfairness. The course focuses on the law and people's rights, and looks at how we can accept and celebrate our differences. Improving our workplace culture can often be challenging, so the first step is to increase our knowledge, understanding and skills in this area.
E IT systems and remote working
Managing an effective team can be difficult even when the team is based in the same office, but when team members are working in different locations sometimes even based abroad, management becomes a real challenge. Remote working is on the increase and managers need all the help they can get to make it work. This course will enable you to deal with remote working, ensuring that your team feels motivated and integrated.
______________
Read the text below and answer questions 20–25.
Applying for staff development funds
The company sees staff development as a priority and is committed to developing the experience, knowledge and ability of all staff regardless of position within the organisation.
The company has an annual budget for staff development, and staff are encouraged to apply for funds for training relevant to their job or any training identified in their yearly performance review. While it may be appropriate for some staff members to attend more than one training session, there is a limit of three sessions per year per staff member.
Funding should always be approved prior to incurring costs. This is to ensure that we are able to monitor the staff development budget. It also ensures that staff can be reimbursed for expenses. Without approval, there is a risk that a staff member will personally have to bear the cost of any training he or she has had.
The approval process:
1 Speak to your line manager about the training for which you would like to apply for funding. Afterwards, please make sure you have the agreement in writing so that the Staff Development Manager and Financial Officer are able to find evidence of the agreement in case any problems occur.
2 On agreement, you will need to complete a staff development form and submit it to the Staff Development Manager. He/She will review your application and reply within one week of receiving it. It is important to wait for signed approval before proceeding further. You will receive a staff development cost code on approval. You will need this for the next stage.
3 After approval, and in advance of any expenditure, you may need to complete a purchase request order. Send the purchase request to the finance office, and remember to include your staff development cost code. The finance office will then book travel tickets and/or make any payments so that staff members do not need to spend their own money. It is important to make sure you have allowed enough time for the finance office to process the purchase request.
4 Expense claims: In a situation where the time between applying for funding and sending in a purchase order and the date of the training or event is very short, a staff member may pay for the event themselves and then claim back the cost through an expense claim. Please note: you will still need to present a staff development form and have it approved before submitting an expense claim. You will also need a staff development cost code from your approved staff development form to complete a claim.
Questions
Questions 15–19 Matching Features
Look at the text.
Which event, A–E, is the most suitable for people's training needs?
Write the correct number, i–viii. Note: There are more training needs than events so you will not use them all.
i. You need to prepare for your yearly appraisal and would like to know what happens.
ii. You are not good at meeting deadlines.
iii. You would like more people to work flexibly from home.
iv. You need to know about the law regarding equal opportunities.
v. You would like to learn more about computers and improve your word processing skills.
vi. You would like to know about working with international colleagues.
vii. You would like to learn first aid.
viii. You have to learn about the possible dangers at work.
Questions 20–22 True / False / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?
Write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
Questions 23–25 Flow Chart Completion
Complete the flowchart.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.
| Speak to your line manager. | → | Fill in a(n)
23 |
→ | Send this to the Staff Development Manager. |
| The application is reviewed and approved or rejected. | → | If it is approved, complete a(n)
24 |
| → | If there is little time, pay for the training yourself and then complete a(n)
25 |
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q15 | ii | A better understanding of time management and time management techniques can make you more effective in your work, enabling you to achieve more in fewer hours and giving you time to relax properly | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that this training teaches you how to use your time well. It helps you do more work in a shorter amount of time. Answer Explanation: The answer means this training is for people who have trouble finishing their work by the set time. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is choice **ii** because 'Efficiency training' helps staff with **time management**. People who are not good at meeting **deadlines** need to learn how to be more **effective** so they can **achieve more** work in **fewer hours**. This course teaches the skills and techniques needed to finish tasks on time. |
| Q16 | i | This course will develop the skills you need to understand your performance review and focuses on the company policies which must guide you in your work | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that this specific training helps staff learn how to understand their work evaluation and the rules they need to follow. Answer Explanation: The answer means that this training course is the right choice for an employee who wants to get ready for their annual work evaluation meeting and understands what will happen during it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is i because Event B, titled 'Performance review for reviewees,' is designed to help employees understand how their work is evaluated. A 'performance review' is another term for a 'yearly appraisal.' Since the course helps workers 'understand your performance review,' it directly matches the need of someone who wants to 'know what happens' during their appraisal. |
| Q17 | viii | This online course provides basic information about health and safety in the company and helps you to understand your responsibility to keep yourself safe, look out for the safety of others, and co-operate with other departments in the company in an emergency | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that the course teaches staff how to stay safe at work and how to help keep others safe if there is a problem or an emergency. Answer Explanation: The answer means that this course is the best choice if you need to learn how to stay safe and avoid getting hurt at your job. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is viii because Event C is about 'health and safety'. 'Health and safety' refers to the rules and actions taken to prevent accidents or illnesses in a workplace. The description for Event C explains that the course teaches you how to 'keep yourself safe' and 'look out for the safety of others', which matches the need to learn about 'possible dangers' (things that could cause harm) mentioned in option viii. |
| Q18 | iv | The course focuses on the law and people's rights, and looks at how we can accept and celebrate our differences | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that this specific training session teaches employees about legal rules (the law) and what people are entitled to (rights) to help everyone get along and treat each other fairly regardless of their differences. Answer Explanation: The answer iv means that the training course titled 'Diversity and equality training' is the best choice for someone who needs to learn about laws related to equal opportunities. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'iv' because the description for Event D, 'Diversity and equality training,' explicitly mentions that the course 'focuses on the law and people's rights.' This directly matches the training need listed in option iv, which is about knowing the 'law regarding equal opportunities.' Additionally, the course aims to address 'unfairness' and how to 'accept and celebrate our differences,' which are key parts of equal opportunity concepts. |
| Q19 | iii | Remote working is on the increase and managers need all the help they can get to make it work. This course will enable you to deal with remote working, ensuring that your team feels motivated and integrated | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that more and more people are doing their jobs away from the main office. It says that the training helps managers learn how to handle this 'remote working' situation so the team stays connected and happy. Answer Explanation: The answer is option iii, which refers to the desire to allow more employees to work from home rather than in a central office. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is iii because Course E focuses on 'remote working,' which is when employees work from a different location, such as their home. The text mentions that remote working is becoming more common and that managers need special training to help these employees stay motivated and feel part of the team. Therefore, Course E is the best choice for someone who wants to allow more staff to work flexibly from home. |
| Q20 | FALSE | The company has an annual budget for staff development | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the company sets aside a specific amount of money each year to pay for staff training. Answer Explanation: The answer means the statement is wrong because the company has a set limit on the money it spends on training. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is FALSE because the text mentions that the company has an 'annual budget' for staff development. A 'budget' is a specific amount of money reserved for a purpose, which means the funds are restricted and not unlimited. Additionally, the text mentions a 'limit' on the number of training sessions a person can attend, further showing that resources are not endless. |
| Q21 | NOT GIVEN | The company has an annual budget for staff development, and staff are encouraged to apply for funds for training relevant to their job or any training identified in their yearly performance review | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says the company provides money for employees to do job training or learning that was talked about in their yearly review. However, it does not say if this money can be used to go to a "conference." Answer Explanation: The answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage does not provide information to confirm or deny whether staff development funds can be used specifically for a conference. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NOT GIVEN because while the text explains the process for applying for funds for "training" and mentions "training or event," it never explicitly mentions the word "conference." In reading comprehension tests, if a specific detail like "conference" is not mentioned and cannot be definitely confirmed by the text, the status of that information is unknown. Therefore, we cannot say for certain if conferences are an approved use for the money. |
| Q22 | TRUE | The finance office will then book travel tickets and/or make any payments so that staff members do not need to spend their own money | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the office that handles money will pay for tickets and training fees so that workers do not have to use their own money. Answer Explanation: The answer is TRUE because the text says the company prefers to pay for training and travel directly so that employees do not have to use their own cash. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because the passage explains that the finance office handles common costs like travel tickets and training fees. The reason they do this is to ensure that staff members do not have to spend their personal money. Additionally, the text mentions that if you pay for something without getting official permission first, you might have to pay the whole cost yourself, which strongly encourages people to follow the company's payment rules instead of using their own money. |
| Q23 | staff development form | On agreement, you will need to complete a staff development form and submit it to the Staff Development Manager | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that after you agree with your manager about training, you must fill out a document called a staff development form and give it to the manager in charge of staff development. Answer Explanation: The answer is the specific document an employee must fill out to officially request money for their training. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "staff development form" because the second step of the approval process in the text says that after getting an agreement from a manager, the employee must complete this specific form. In the flowchart, the instruction "Fill in a(n)" is a synonym for the text's instruction to "complete" the form. |
| Q24 | purchase request | After approval, and in advance of any expenditure, you may need to complete a purchase request order | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that after the company says yes to the training, and before any money is spent, a worker might have to fill out a form to request to buy what they need. Answer Explanation: The answer is a document called a 'purchase request' which an employee fills out to ask the company to buy items or services for them. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'purchase request' or 'purchase request order' because the text explains that once a staff member's training is approved, the next step before spending money is to fill out this specific form. This form is sent to the finance office so they can pay for things like travel directly. Key words include 'approval', 'expenditure' (spending), and 'purchase request'. |
| Q25 | expense claim | In a situation where the time between applying for funding and sending in a purchase order and the date of the training or event is very short, a staff member may pay for the event themselves and then claim back the cost through an expense claim | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that if you have to pay for training with your own money because you are in a hurry, you should use an expense claim to get that money back from the company. Answer Explanation: The answer is a form called an expense claim that workers use to get their money back after paying for training themselves. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'expense claim' because the text explains what to do when there is very little time ('very short' time) before a training event. In this specific situation, a staff member can use their own money to pay and then ask the company to pay them back by using an 'expense claim'. |