MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S. —  Spanish-speakers who are new to the grain industry can now take an introductory online course to learn safe grain handling and elevator operations procedures through the Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) and Kansas State University’s (KSU) Distance Education Program.

GEAPS 500: Introduction to Grain Operations (English/Spanish) will be offered in Spanish for the first time July 7-Aug. 8.

Designed for new hires and taught by grain industry experts, the course covers main elevator types, components and equipment, with an emphasis on safety. It also teaches procedures for grain receiving, sampling, testing and grading, binning, maintenance and more.

GEAPS 500 is one of six courses in the Distance Education Program required for the Credential in Grain Operations Management (CGOM) (English/Spanish), the only formal credential available in the grain industry.

Spanish translations of all six courses in the CGOM are planned, with the goal of expanding credentialing opportunities to a wider audience of industry professionals. Carlos Campabadal, a program specialist and instructor for feed manufacturing and grain storage at KSU’s Department of Grain Science and Industry, is assisting GEAPS with all translations.

This October, GEAPS 510: Facilities Planning and Design I, another CGOM course, will also be offered in Spanish. GEAPS 520: Grain Quality Management is scheduled for January. The remaining three CGOM courses have yet to be scheduled.

Registration for GEAPS 500 opens June 2. Tuition is $625 for GEAPS members and $795 for non-members. Contact Chuck House at GEAPS with questions at chuck@geaps.com; 1.952.928.4640.