MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S. — The GEAPS and Kansas State University Distance Education Program will offer 33 courses in 2019. Every course required for the credentials in grain operations management and grain processing management will be available over the course of the year.

Chris Blair, regional manager for NEW Cooperative chairs GEAPS’ committee that oversees distance education. Blair said the program is designed to build and reinforce the skills of all levels of employees in the grain industry.

“We have courses that are designed for new employees to the industry, that will help them build a baseline of skill to succeed in the industry,” Blair said. “Other courses will help more experienced operators learn best that can help the facility’s bottom line.”

GEAPS and KSU 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. Course combines GEAPS members’ vast on-the-job experience with KSU’s academic expertise. Lectures and coursework take place online, and can be completed at any time during the five-week session.

Jim McKerchar, retired, Parrish and Heimbecker, explained how his company used distance education courses to groom employees for management positions.

“We have an employee whose dream was to be the general manager of his own facility,” McKerchar said. “We started him through GEAPS training and he earned every credential. That’s 24 courses and over 240 hours of training. He took two things from every course and applied them in our company to help show the benefit in dollars and cents. He matured from an operations manager to general manager. GEAPS helped us develop a ball of clay with the right ingredients to the point where he manages a $20 million facility.”

Courses consist of peer-reviewed online narrated PowerPoint presentations, assignments and quizzes that can be completed any time over the five weeks of the course.

GEAPS offers a volume discount program to make training groups of employees more cost effective. The program allows up to 20% savings on the member rate for courses by purchasing blocks of 10 or more courses at once. Blocks can be used to register any member of a company for courses, whether they are a GEAPS member or not.

 

2019 Course Schedule

Jan. 8 – Feb. 12

Registration opens Dec. 5, closes Jan. 2

  • GEAPS 500: Introduction to Grain Handling Operations
  • GEAPS 501: Management Basics for Grain Facility Supervisors: Understanding Key Roles and Responsibilities
  • GEAPS 541: Developing an Effective Safety Culture at Your Company
  • GEAPS 550: Materials Handling I      

Feb. 19 – March 26

Registration opens Jan. 16, closes Feb. 13

  • GEAPS 506: The Grain Industry in Canada: Climate, Crops, People
  • GEAPS 510: Facilities Planning and Design I
  • GEAPS 520: Grain Quality Management 
  • GEAPS 551: Materials Handling II

April 2 – May 7

Registration opens Feb. 27, closes March 27

  • GEAPS 521: Aeration System Design and Fan Operational Management
  • GEAPS 540: Entry Level Safety
  • GEAPS 546: Fighting Grain Silo Fires and Smolders
  • GEAPS 552: Materials Handling III             

May 14 – June 18

Registration opens April 10, closes May 8

  • GEAPS 511: Grain Facilities Planning and Design II
  • GEAPS 525: Management of Pests in Stored Grain
  • GEAPS 544: Preventing and Responding to Grain Dust Explosions
  • GEAPS 610: Interpretation of Process Flow Diagrams

June 25 – July 30

Registration opens May 22, closes June 19

  • GEAPS 530: Quality Management Systems for Bulk Materials Handling Operations
  • GEAPS 545: Grain Entrapment: Causes, Prevention and Rescue
  • GEAPS 554: Grain Elevator Equipment Maintenance: An Inside Look at Key Components
  • GEAPS 600: Overview of Milling Principles              

Aug. 6 – Sept. 10

Registration opens July 2, closes July 31

  • GEAPS 500: Introduction to Grain Operations
  • GEAPS 501: Management Basics for Grain Facility Supervisors: Understanding Key Roles and Responsibilities
  • GEAPS 542: Electrical Safety for Grain and Processing Facilities
  • GEAPS 550: Materials Handling I
  • GEAPS 555: Advanced and Preventive Maintenance for Grain Facilities: Conveyance Equipment

Sept. 17 – Oct. 22

Registration opens Aug. 14, closes Sept. 11

  • GEAPS 510: Facilities Planning and Design I
  • GEAPS 520: Grain Quality Management
  • GEAPS 524: Grain Drying
  • GEAPS 620: Grain Receiving, Cleaning and Conditioning

Oct. 29 – Dec. 3

Registration opens Sept. 25, closes Oct. 23

  • GEAPS 522: FGIS Grain Inspection Orientation
  • GEAPS 530: Quality Management Systems for Bulk Materials Handling Operations
  • GEAPS 540: Entry Level Safety
  • GEAPS 630: Quality Control/Quality Assurance Practices in Flour Milling

For more information, click here.