Amanda Symonds of Gloucester is the General Manager at Chesapeake Marine Training Institute (CMTI), located at 3566 George Washington Memorial Highway in Hayes.

CMTI is a proven industry leader providing quality maritime training to thousands of mariners for almost 30 years. It is respected for its service to the workboat community, recreational mariners, various government agencies and shipping companies throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

“We take time to ensure each mariner has the knowledge and skills needed in today’s competitive environment,” she said.

According to Symonds, technology-based courses have been given a priority during the COVID-19 pandemic which has allowed CMTI to offer distance learning courses to a wider audience of mariners in a safe and effective manner. With a broader reach and advertisement, many courses increased enrollment by as much as 40 percent over the previous year.

Another area of focus enabled students to purchase online study materials ...