GEAPS and KSU to establish international grain handling centre

The Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) and Kansas State University (KSU) will form a partnership to create an International Centre for Grain Handling Industry Operations (ICGHIO).

Beginning in January 2010, GEAPS and KSU will establish workgroups and mapping out the ICGHIO's mission, next steps and scope of work. The ICGHIO will combine GEAPS' commitment to excellence in grain handling industry operations, continuing education and professional development with KSU's educational resources, research capacity and student outreach.

GEAPS and the university formed the partnership to address the potential loss of institutional knowledge in the grain handling operations industry. Experienced longtime experts in the industry and academia are nearing retirement, GEAPS said. At the same time, many hiring managers are experiencing challenges drawing young workers to a steadily growing but increasingly understaffed field.

"This strategic partnership between GEAPS and KSU will provide an opportunity to create an education center where we will be able to capture this knowledge from experts around the world by converting it into distance learning materials," said Professor Dirk Maier, head of the GSI Department.

"The ICGHIO will make their expertise plus new knowledge available around the world for the education and training of future generations of grain handling industry professionals."

Maier added that he envisions the centre to also serve as "a global forum for the exchange of ideas, information and knowledge of grain handling industry operations." A core component of the ICGHIO will be credentialing of current grain operations management professionals.

"This partnership with KSU will allow GEAPS the opportunity to provide continuing education and professional development resources on a larger level than ever before,'' said Mark Tourangeau, GEAPS International president.