MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S. — The GEAPS/KSU Distance Education Program resumes in September with courses on materials handling and grain drying. Enrollment for both courses is now open online at www.geaps.com, the Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) said on July 10.

GEAPS 550: Materials Handling I, the first in a three-part series, focuses on the properties and flow characteristics of grains and other dry bulk materials. This is a 10-lesson introductory course designed for new hires, front-line supervision employees with responsibilities for training, students, interns, and other people considering jobs or careers in grain operations. It is also a required course for the Grain Operations Management Credential, the first and only such accreditation in the grain handling industry.

GEAPS 524: Grain Drying will teach the basic principles of grain drying and its effects on end-use quality. It also focuses on capacity and energy efficiency, dryer types and their use for specific grain types. The course, developed by a team of university specialists, is intended for virtually anyone with responsibilities relating to grain drying. Facility owners and operators, elevator superintendents, location or regional managers, maintenance personnel with dryer maintenance and repair duties, grain dryer manufacturers, distributors and technical sales staff will all benefit from knowledge of the content covered in this course.

The other courses required to obtain the Grain Operations Management Credential are GEAPS 500 – Introduction to Grain Operations, GEAPS 510 – Grain Facilities Planning and Design I, GEAPS 520 – Quality Grain Management, GEAPS 530 – Quality Management Systems for Bulk Materials Handling Operations, and GEAPS 540 – Safety Management for Grain and Processing Facilities.

Students who have already completed one or more of these courses automatically receive credit toward the credential. With 489 people having already taken one or more of the required courses, GEAPS could award the first credential within a year.