Apple, Infosys-backed app development course at SRM University’s opens up window into iOS coding as career option

Beyond equipping these students with the tools like XCode and Swift Playgrounds, Apple also offers mentorship and additional resources.

SRM Institute of Science and Technology students and faculty who have opted for iOS app development (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

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With India facing the challenge of a skilled workforce despite its demographic advantage as a young nation, companies like Apple have started collaborating with academic institutes to bridge this gap.

SRM Institute of Science and Technology has become the first university in India to integrate iOS app development, in collaboration with Apple, into its computer science curriculum. As of now, the course is offered as an elective, but the university has plans to grant academic credit for it. The institute is also planning to offer the course as a standalone certification programme in the future.

The collaboration, also involving Infosys along with Apple and SRM University, not only prepares students for the industry, but also guides them to embark on their preferred career paths.

According to SRM University’s vice-chancellor C. Muthamizhchelvan, students are drawn to high-paying jobs or entrepreneurship, and the introduction of this course could help them secure both. He said the institute is also planning to offer the course as a standalone certification programme in the future.

Also read | iOS 17 comprehensive guide: Features, list of supported devices, release date, and more

Besides upskilling students with cutting-edge coding platforms like XCode and Swift Playgrounds to learn and develop iOS apps, Apple also offers mentorship and additional resources to teachers and participating students. Infosys, meanwhile, provides an opportunity for students to undergo an internship to help gain real-world training. At present, 50 students are part of the course, and the university plans to increase the intake to 100 for the next academic year.

“I’ve been learning a lot more once I’ve gotten into this program. This program has really taught me about how to use the technology and a lot more ideas”, Advikaa Ramesh, a final year Computer Science student told indianexress.com on the campus.

Happy Paws iOS app (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The students showed a set of iOS apps that were developed to address some real-world issues. Happy Paws, for instance, serves as an all-in-one app for pet parents, assisting with tasks like hiring dog walkers and scheduling vet appointments. The functions are similar to Facebook, but tailored for pet owners. Besides, the platform offers a unique social experience.

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Circles, on the other hand, is a travel planning app that comes with some distinctive features such as a ‘flaky meter’ that assesses the likelihood of an individual causing disruptions to an entire trip.

Though most students were taking their first steps into app development, they acknowledged the ease of iOS app development, especially with the assistance of Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines (HIG).

The project had significantly influenced their career trajectories, some of them said, adding it had made many consider app development as a viable and compelling career path.

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