GEAPS, K-State Introduce Package Price for Online Credential Program

The Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) and Kansas State University (K-State) have announced a bundled price on their joint credential program.

Anyone who purchases five of the six courses required for the Credential in Grain Operations Management receives the final course for free. Courses are a part of the GEAPS/K-State Distance Education Program.

With the bundle pricing, credentials cost $3,500 for GEAPS members and $4,525 for non-members. The free course is a $700 savings for GEAPS members and $965 savings for non-members.

The bundle includes an advising sessions with GEAPS staff. The half-hour meeting will plan a timeline for course completion through the end of 2021.

The advising session is an opportunity to ask any questions about the program before purchasing the courses. Investing in credentials for employees is a great way to ensure standardized training for new employees, especially those with a background outside the industry.

R. Scott Brittingham, MCGOM, regional manager of Delaware grain facilities at Mountaire Farms Inc, enrolled in courses to gauge them as a training option for less-experienced employees.

“Mountaire’s business model puts a high emphasis on operational excellence ,” Brittingham said. “As I was researching the course offerings, my lifelong love of learning prompted me to sign up for courses to see if I could glean any information to supplement my years of experience in the grain industry.”

For more experienced employees, credentials can be a valuable engagement tool. Not only will completing courses fill in knowledge gaps, it gives your employees a series of deadlines and goals to pursue.

Brock Dexter, MCGOM, Senior Safety Specialist, CHS, pursued credentials to broaden his knowledge of the industry.

“When you work in the ag industry you know how elevators operate, how legs operate, how conveyors operate in a very general capacity,” Dexter said. “These courses made you design a facility and realize how things should work in a perfect world when you get to start from scratch.”

Courses Required:

• GEAPS 500: Introduction to Grain Operations or GEAPS 501: Management Basics for Grain Facility Supervisors
• GEAPS 510: Grain Facilities Planning and Design I
• GEAPS 520: Grain Quality Management
• GEAPS 530: Quality Management Systems for Bulk Materials Handling Operations
• GEAPS 540: Entry Level Safety
• GEAPS 550: Materials Handling I

GEAPS/K-State Distance Education Program at a Glance

• Over the past 12 years, over 6,000 registrants from 30 different nations have taken a GEAPS/K-State course
• Courses run for five weeks and consist of narrated PowerPoint lectures
• Participants can complete coursework at their convenience
• Industry specialists peer-review all materials to ensure quality and relevance
• Courses provide opportunities to network with faculty and peers
• Students who complete a course receive one continuing education unit (CEU) from Kansas State University and a certificate of completion

About the GEAPS/K-State Distance Education Program

GEAPS and Kansas State University provide online, peer-reviewed continuing education unit (CEU) qualified courses taught by grain industry leaders and faculty members. The program helps participants improve job skills and become more valuable to employers through exposure to issues, standards and best practices from across the industry. Courses combine GEAPS members’ vast on-the-job experience with K-State’s academic expertise. Lectures and coursework take place online, available any time during the five-week session.

About GEAPS The Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) is an international professional association that supports its members and the industry by serving as The Knowledge Resource for the world of grain handling and processing industry operations. GEAPS addresses the industry’s critical grain handling, storage and processing operations needs by providing the finest networking, professional development programs, and access to a global marketplace of equipment, services and technology solutions providers. GEAPS’ global network of industry professionals includes more than 2,500 individual members from about 1,050 companies.