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Ohio State Offers Apple App Development and Coding Certificate Courses to the Public Initiative will aid workforce development BY CHRIS BOOKER [LINK] The Ohio State University is making its popular Swift Coding and App Development certificate program available to the public. By expanding access to learners everywhere, participants gain cutting-edge skills for today’s modern economy. Additionally, the university is working with local businesses to provide workforce development opportunities for their employees through Ohio’s TechCred program. In just over a year since it launched, more than 3,000 students, faculty, staff, and alumni have enrolled in the certificate program, completing self-paced modules on their schedule and building valuable skills. This new, public set of courses expands the opportunity to anyone interested in learning how to code and build apps that are ready for the App Store. Horizon Two Labs, a Columbus-based venture studio that helps launch, develop, and operate technology startups, supported its employees’ enrollment in the courses. Chief Technology Officer Zak Dziczkowski said the courses help build the knowledge base of the Horizon Two team. “Horizon Two Labs’ focus is on bringing big new ideas to life. The ability to build and iterate quickly and efficiently on new ideas is a necessity at this early stage,” he said. “We build a lot of consumerfacing products and the Ohio State Swift Coding coursework helps to build up our team’s frontend skills. Our team all strives to be polyglots. This requires constant learning and training on all aspects of the business.” The four-course series is designed to make it easy for participants to learn to code and develop apps SPRING 2021
with Swift — Apple’s open-source programming language. They also walk away with a series of stackable certificates and real-world skills. “This coding and app development certificate program allows anyone, regardless of their background or prior knowledge with coding, the opportunity to learn a tangible, applicable digital skill that will not only provide them immediate skills to utilize and explore, but also a foundation for future learning, innovation, and creativity in the digital world,” said Cory Tressler, director of learning programs and Digital Flagship. The self-paced curriculum enables participants to move through lessons on their schedule, speed through what comes easily, and spend more time in areas they want to develop. Courses are fully online so lessons can be accessed and completed from anywhere. The courses are built around Apple’s coding curriculum and its development tool, Xcode, which is used by students and professional developers alike to create apps for Apple platforms. Xcode is available as a free download for the Mac. Once participants have completed the courses, they can take their new skills and go on to complete Apple’s App Development with Swift certification as a complement to their Ohio State credential. Ohio’s TechCred Program gives employers the chance to upskill current and future employees in today’s tech-infused economy. Employers may submit applications to be reimbursed up to $2,000 when current or prospective employees complete the Ohio State courses. Course details for the general public are available on the university’s ScarletCanvas platform.
