Additional Information
You need a high school education and experience working in and around elevators.
Pesticide dispenser's licenses may be required in some locations. The company
often provides seminars or workshops related to safety and other issues.
David Krejci is the executive vice-president of the Grain Elevator and
Processing Society. He says more elevator operators are being hired with degrees
in agricultural engineering or other backgrounds in which they have acquired
management skills and technological skills.
"Jobs are becoming more complex," he says. "The level of skill needed for
those job is much higher than it used to be. Companies used to promote people
based on job training. Now they need management skills, human relation management
skills, and technical skills for operating the machinery.
"Many people in grain operations have college degrees with agricultural
engineering backgrounds or some other combination of backgrounds and skills.
Business management is important because they are responsible for the overall
operations of the facility."
"Get a diploma at the minimum," says Michael Moors, who works for a wheat
pool. "A degree is better yet. The jobs are becoming more complex. The responsibilities
are growing. You need that education and training. And once you are hired,
you need to keep on taking training so you can keep up with changing requirements
and conditions."