Mobile App workshop to open world of possibilities

Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 11, 2012 (SKNIS): Officials at the Department of Technology are finalizing arrangements for the first mobile application development workshop which is expected to open a world of possibilities to locals.

The workshop runs from June 24 to 27, 2011, and will be held at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort. Participants will learn industry skills that demonstrate how to create applications, commonly referred to as apps, for smart phones and tablets that use Android, Apple and Blackberry platforms. Web Apps for traditional personal computing devices such as a laptop will also be covered.

The minister responsible for youth and technology Honourable Glenn Phillip noted that the participants will be challenged in a fun and youth friendly environment, to come up with solutions to fill existing gaps in society. That could be designing an app that informs about the availability of agricultural produce, or reminds parents and students about due school assignments.

“It gives our people the ability to unleash their creativity,” Minister Phillip stated.

Some of the applications will not be limited to St. Kitts-Nevis experiences. The design functionality will allow users in various countries to make the use of the apps relevant to their reality. With the Apple App Store boasting some 500,000 applications and the Android Market not too far behind, the new creations will have to stand out. As such, information and technical mentors will be on hand, guiding the usefulness of the design and defining the scope of the issues to be addressed.

Social skill training in leadership, ethics, problem solving and other areas will also help guide the participants in identifying social gaps and developing solution-oriented apps.

The workshop is open to the public, but there is emphasis on attracting young people. Students from various high schools on both islands are expected to attend in addition to a selection of marginalized youth.

Director of Technology Christopher Herbert encouraged persons not to be intimidated by the “technobabble.” He described the process of creating an app as relatively simple and encouraged interested individuals to register online for the free course at mobileapps.gov.kn or telephone the National ICT Center at 465-0610.