Jim Lenz:
You already invest in your interns, so why not give that the tools to stay and grow in the green industry? In today’s episode, we’ll show you how GEAPS NextGenPath seamlessly plugs into your internship program at no cost and delivers long-term value for both your interns and your team. Let’s get started. Hello and welcome to the show. Welcome to the Whole Grain Podcast.
Jim Lenz:
The Whole Grain Show brings grain professional listeners together from 91 countries from around the world. I’m so happy you’re joining us for today’s show. My name is Jim Lenz, your host, producer and editor of the show and the director of global education and training at Jeeps, where the mission of the grain elevator and processing society is to champion, connect and serve the global grain industry and our members At GEAPS. We work to be the global community and thought leader for the grain industry, which feeds and fuels the world. This is a show where we bring you fresh ideas, smart perspectives and forward-thinking leaders from across the grain handling and processing industry.
Jim Lenz:
In this episode, we’re diving into a unique resource that helps companies like yours build stronger, more successful internship programs. It’s called the NextGen Path Intern Program. Now, this isn’t a standalone internship program. It’s a companion, a flexible toolkit that integrates into any internship structure and enhances the experience with structure, learning and real career connection. Let’s break it down, all right. I’m thrilled to say I’m not alone today. I’m joined by my colleague and our guest for this episode, betsy Polis, GEAPS’ Senior Director of Projects and Events. Betsy brings amazing energy and heart to her work and she played a key role in developing and launching NextGenPath. Betsy, welcome to the Whole Grain Podcast.
Betsy Polis:
Thanks so much, Jim. I’m really excited to be here and even more excited to talk about NextGenPath.
Jim Lenz:
Well, I know this program has been a labor of love, so let’s start with the basics. What is NextGenPath? Tell our listeners. And why did GEAPS create it?
Betsy Polis:
Great question. Nextgenpath is a free, flexible program designed to support companies that host interns. We know many facilities bring in interns each year, whether they’re college students, technical learners or people trying out the industry for the first time. But not every company has time to build a structured intern experience, so we created NextGenPath to make that part easier. It’s a plug and play toolkit with simple practical resources, an onboarding checklist, a welcome to the industry course, industry terms, educational videos and even podcast episodes like this one.
Jim Lenz:
So what kind of companies is NextGenPath really designed for?
Betsy Polis:
Honestly, any company in the grain handling and processing space that works with interns can benefit, whether you’re a large grain operation, a local cooperative or even a single location facility. It’s built to be customizable. So, whether you’ve hosted interns for years or are just trying it out for the first time, nextgenpath can elevate your program with very little lift.
Jim Lenz:
Membership is growing. We have new exciting member benefits, free member benefits. You know what A lot of our listeners may not know that interns can receive a complimentary membership, a free membership. Can you tell us a little bit more about GEAPS student memberships?
Betsy Polis:
Absolutely. One of the great things about GEAPS is that we offer complimentary memberships for full-time students and interns who are currently enrolled in an accredited academic program. So a Jeeps student membership really opens the door to a ton of valuable opportunities. We have, you know, free access to our conferences, like our annual GEAPS exchange, free online intro course, discounted on-demand training, local chapter connections, scholarships and more, and when students graduate they can transition into their first year of professional membership for free as well.
Jim Lenz:
Now, that’s fantastic. So interns can easily sign up for cheap student membership, which gives them access to the NextGenPath program. Let’s walk through those core components. What’s inside the toolkit?
Betsy Polis:
Sure, there are five main parts. One, an onboarding checklist that helps facilities quickly welcome their interns and provide a strong first impression. Two, the Welcome to the Green Industry course. This is a self-paced online course that’s designed to give new learners an orientation to the field. Three, a terminology reference guide we call it the Jeep’s Glossary which explains common terms, processes and equipment in the green industry. Four, a curated video library. This includes a wide array of recorded sessions and training content, very curated to interns, to the younger generation, and, of course, the whole green podcast episodes that are there to help interns explore different career paths and they can hear directly from professionals in the field.
Jim Lenz:
I mean that’s fantastic. So a lot of people may not know, for example, that Curated Video Library. We have over 200 different videos available that are searchable by topic and keyword. Of course we’ve got the Whole Grain Podcast episodes, the new Welcome to the Grain Industry course. It’s a great primer, it’s a one-hour course for those who are newer to the industry, and so we’ve got some good structure and order. But I would imagine Betsy companies saying well, that sounds great, but how much time does this take? What’s a time commitment for a company or supervisor?
Betsy Polis:
Oh yeah, that’s a great question. The program was built with busy facilities in mind. It was also designed to be a companion program to already existing internship programs. Everything is designed to be flexible. You can use as much or as little as you want and you can decide when and how to use the materials. So supervisors can simply review the checklist with their intern and let them complete items on their own. It’s very self-guided. We’ve even included a tracking sheet to make it easier when you’re overseeing more than one intern.
Jim Lenz:
So why is this program important right now, Betsy?
Betsy Polis:
The grain industry is facing a real challenge. Our workforce is aging and a lot of institutional knowledge is walking out the door. At the same time, there’s a growing need to attract, train and retain new talent. But not every company has the time or tools to build an onboarding experience from scratch. That’s where NextGenPath really helps. It fills in the gaps, gives interns a strong foundation and helps companies introduce the industry in a way that’s welcoming, informative and professional. It’s not just about this summer. It’s about building our talent pipeline for the future.
Jim Lenz:
That’s right Building for the future. So what if a company has already started their internship program? Can they still join NextGenPath midway through the summer?
Betsy Polis:
Absolutely. You can jump in at any point. Even if your interns are a few weeks in or you’ve already onboarded them, there’s still a lot of value in the glossary, the videos and the learning modules. We’ve seen companies use it mid-season as a supplement or even offer it as a wrap-up experience that helps interns reflect on what they’ve learned.
Jim Lenz:
That’s fantastic. Thanks for communicating that to our listeners out there. You mentioned earlier that the program was originally designed for interns, but can other learners, other grain professionals use it too?
Betsy Polis:
Yes, and this is something we’re really excited about. The resources in NextGenPath can easily be used to onboard new full-time employees, seasonal staff or even students exploring the industry through school-based programs. We’ve even heard from companies who use these videos and glossary with their existing team as part of a weekly safety or learning meeting.
Jim Lenz:
Now we know that high schoolers often are part of the workforce in green facilities, even including vendors and suppliers, and they may be seasonal workers, perhaps it may be there much of the year, maybe they’re just working, you know, during the summer harvest season and whatnot, but they play a key role and many people go directly into the workforce from high school. So my question, betsy, is is this program suitable for high schoolers?
Betsy Polis:
Yes, that’s a really good question. So, while the program was initially designed with college interns in mind, we’ve seen strong interest from companies engaging with high school students, whether you’re, you know, a youth apprentice doing a career exploration program or it’s a summer job placement. This content is really beginner friendly, visual and it’s easy to follow, and it’s a great way to introduce young people to the grain industry and for companies, it’s a powerful tool to start building that future talent early especially as we look to addressing the workforce shortages and create more visibility for careers in agriculture.
Jim Lenz:
All right, there you have it. Listeners. Yes, high school students, this can be a good fit, so consider that.
Betsy Polis:
It’s a great tool for foundational training at all levels.
Jim Lenz:
So there’s great opportunities for flexibility to work within an internship program. You’ve demonstrated that. What happens when an intern finishes a program? Is there a way to recognize their effort?
Betsy Polis:
Yes, at the end of the program, interns complete a checklist that tracks their progress through the various components. Once they’ve finished, they can submit it to their supervisor and we encourage those supervisors to send it to GEAPS Every intern, those supervisors to send it to GEAPS. Every intern who completes the program gets a certificate of completion. It’s a small but powerful way to recognize their work and it gives them something tangible to use on their resume or LinkedIn profile. It shows they’ve gone above and beyond a typical internship experience.
Jim Lenz:
I know one of the things people ask is how do we take this further? And that’s where our optional add-on comes in the Introduction to Grain Operations course. Let’s tell listeners more about that.
Betsy Polis:
Absolutely. GEAPS offers a self-paced online course called Introduction to Grain Operations. Normally it’s $495, but through NextGenPath, companies can offer it to their interns for just $75. It covers safety operations, grain quality equipment and more, and it’s perfect for interns or anyone who wants that strong foundational understanding of the industry.
Jim Lenz:
So it’s an online and on-demand course that takes approximately six hours to complete. It offers good breadth and scope. Whenever they take a pause in the course, they can continue where they left off, so that’s a great opportunity for people to take their learning further. It really levels up the learning right, Betsy.
Betsy Polis:
Yeah, it does, and it gives interns the confidence to ask smarter questions, engage in deeper conversations and even consider staying in the industry long term.
Jim Lenz:
Which is exactly the goal helping interns become future green professionals. So how can someone get started with NextGenPath?
Betsy Polis:
It’s easy Just visit geaps dot com slash next gen, that’s G-E-A-P-S dot com, slash N-E-X-T-G-E-N and register your facility. The toolkit is free and instantly available, and if you want to add that online course that we just talked about for one or more interns, we can help you get that set up too.
Jim Lenz:
So, Betsy, before we wrap up, what’s your hope for this program?
Betsy Polis:
My hope is that it gives companies the tools they need to offer meaningful experiences to interns and maybe even discover their next full-time hire. This industry is full of incredible opportunities, and NextGenPath helps open that door just a little wider.
Jim Lenz:
All right. Thank you, Betsy, for joining us here in the Whole Grain Podcast. Our listeners of the show now have access to a great resource to help grow the industry. Thank you, Betsy, for all your work you’ve done on NextGenPath and bringing it to life. We’re looking forward to having you again in another future episode.
Betsy Polis:
Definitely Happy to be here.
Jim Lenz:
Thank you for joining us on this special episode of the whole grain podcast. Internships are more than a temporary work experience. Thank you for joining us in this episode of the whole grain podcast. Internships are more than a temporary work experience. They’re a first impression, a chance to inspire and an opportunity to build your future workforce With NextGenPath. GEAPS gives you the tools to do just that Without extra costs or complexity. It’s an easy win for your interns, for your team and for the future of the grain industry. Learn more and register today at www. geaps. com. Until next time, I’m Jim Lenz, director of Global Education and Training at GEAPS. Stay safe, stay curious and let’s keep growing together with GEAPS.
