MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S. — The Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) announced on Dec. 5 that it has added two specialist credentials to its Credentialing Program with Kansas State University (KSU). 

A Specialist Credential in Grain Handling Equipment Management and Specialist in Property and Casualty Risk Management are now available in addition to a previously established Specialist in Grain Quality Management.

The new credential tracks are available to students who have completed the base Credential in Grain Operations Management (CGOM), and give companies an additional way to train employees and identify motivated individuals. 

“To remain competitive, firms will need individuals with defined skill sets that cannot be assumed to exist based on tenure alone. The specialist credential courses demonstrate GEAPS’ continued commitment to serving as the knowledge resource for the grain industry,” said William Pickell, a member of the GEAPS Distance Education Program Oversight Committee which developed the new tracks.

Professionals in grain operations and related fields can benefit from these new tracks to advance their careers and to supplement their CGOM. The specialist credentials consist of four courses each; the Specialist in Grain Handling Equipment Management includes two courses on materials handling and two courses on maintenance, and the Specialist in Property and Casualty Risk Management includes courses on safety culture, electrical safety, dust explosions and grain entrapment. Completion of the CGOM plus three specialist credentials earns students a Masters Level Credential.

The Credentialing Program was created in 2012 as part of the GEAPS/KSU Distance Education Program, and is the first formal credentialing program in the industry. Three students graduated with the CGOM in May, with more expected graduates by the end of the year, including the first specialist ccredential graduates. To retain their credentials, participants must earn one additional Continuing Education Unit within three years from the date they earned the CGOM. The goal is to help keep industry professionals up to speed with innovations and changing standards, and to encourage lifelong learning.