UNL Sponsors Online Quiz for Food Processing Managers

LINCOLN, Neb., Nov. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Where will your career take you in 2013? Do you know enough to move up through the ranks of management? Test your level of expertise with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Online Food Processing Challenge, a short 15-question quiz with instant confidential results so you'll know where your strengths are, and where you may need some further training.

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"Our free online Food Processing Challenge will give you instant confidential results so you'll know where your strengths are, and where you may need some further training," says Professor Stephen Pharr, market research analyst at The UNL Food Processing Center. "Your score will be a good indication of your marketability across the food processing industry no matter which particular sector you are employed in at the moment," says Pharr.

So whether you work in a meat processing plant, cheese factory, or winery, you'll gain a better understanding of your transferable skills – those abilities that will be valued by all types of food processing employers.

"With plants closing every day in this challenging economy, workers need to understand their strengths and weaknesses, and this online quiz will help them do that," says Pharr.

It's the development of these transferrable skills that is the focus of the Online Food Processing Management Certificate program. Designed by the experts at UNL in collaboration with industry leaders, the program addresses the education gaps that are often found in plant workers; supervisors and managers; quality control and assurance personnel; and government regulators.

"I believe the UNL online certificate program can elevate the knowledge and skills of managers and potential managers to where they can succeed in today's complex business environment," says Gordon Smith, vice president at ConAgra Foods.

The program is a series of self-paced online courses with content presented as pre-recorded video lectures, PowerPoint presentations, and quizzes. Each lesson takes about 30-45 minutes so students can work toward their certificate from anywhere, at any time, even on their lunch hour. To earn the certificate, participants must complete three sequential modules, which cover:

•           food safety,

•           quality control/assurance,

•           employee safety,

•           food processing operations,

•           product development,

•           growth strategies, and

•           human resources.

The cost is $900 per module or, if purchased together, $2,400 for the complete certificate program (three modules). In some areas, tuition reimbursement may be available through workforce development or other labor department programs. 

To take the quiz, click fpm.unl.edu/quiz.

The UNL Food Processing Center is a multi-disciplinary resource for the food industry, providing a combination of consulting, educational, technical, and business development services. Chartered in 1869, UNL is recognized internationally for its research on food safety, food chemistry, and food engineering. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Media Contact: Andreia Bianchini Huebner, Ph.D. University of Nebraska-Lincoln - The Food Processing Center, 402-472-3114, [email protected]

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SOURCE University of Nebraska-Lincoln - The Food Processing Center