MTAM trainee promotion shows value of apprenticeships

The Marine Trades Association of Maryland has announced two of its on-the-job trainees have been promoted to full-time positions at Hinckley Yacht Services.

Shane Laureska is the current dockmaster at Hinckley in Oxford, Md. Laureska first became interested in the marine industry watching the boats come in and out of the waterfront restaurant he worked at before applying for MTAM’s six week on-the-job-training program.

Through the training, Laureska learned nautical terminology, the ins and outs of launching and blocking boats, and what goes into the general maintenance of a boat yard. He has recently started learning Hinckley’s computer systems to provide purchasing support and will be moving into a carpentry position.

Cain Knopp entered the program with a background in painting boats and gained skills in basic boat carpentry, body work and fiberglass through the training program.

Knopp learned the processes and procedures of the service shop in the first few weeks of the program and is currently working on a teak restoration project. He plans on pursuing a Yamaha outboard certification at the end of the summer.

“In today’s challenging labor market, we are thankful to be working with MTAM to find talented and hardworking apprentices,” said Hinkley Yacht Services’ Eliott Anderson. “We are excited to share in the success of the program and future accomplishments of our new hires.”

MTAM’s program is funded by the State of Maryland’s EARN Maryland Grant Program, administered by the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

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