Hamilton will soon be home to the country's first App School under the guidance of world-renowned app developers.

Wintec subsidiary Prima Learning has teamed up with MEA Mobile, creators of video app iSupr8 to create the nine-week course starting next month. An app, or application, is a piece of software that can run on a mobile or computer platform and can be used for anything from playing games to helping run a business.

Rod Macfarlane, director at MEA Mobile said the course would fill a gap between unemployment, and an industry struggling to find people with the right skills.

"It's a booming industry. In the past, New Zealand's had this issue with the tyranny of distance, that we were so far away from international markets, but with the mobile that doesn't exist any more," he said.

"The plan is to try and grow the school and in the future we hope to teach all of the different mobile platforms and roll out to other centres across the country."

Prima Learning manager Wayne Lim said the course was an exciting new idea which was hoped to put Hamilton on the map. While it provided no formal qualification, developers and potential employers would be watching the course closely, and its students would be in demand.

Hayden Young and Antony Gardiner are senior developers at MEA Mobile who have released about 100 apps between them, and are soon to tutor at the App School, providing the kind of guidance they never had.

"It's definitely a good way to jump-start your learning and gain a bit of a head start," Mr Gardiner said.

For more formation, or to enrol see appschool.co.nz or call 0508 532 764.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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