The Amber/HEART NSTA Coding Academy Officially Launched
As the demand for skills in coding and software development continues to grow worldwide, Jamaica is set to prepare thousands of youths to transform the country into a technological hub of the Caribbean, through the Amber HEART Coding Academy.
The academy, which was officially launched on Thursday, January 14, is the brainchild of the Founder and CEO of the Amber Group, Dushyant Savadia and is a partnership with the HEART NSTA Trust, the Housing Opportunity Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme and the Art of Living Foundation.
“Last year, the software development market was valued at US$487 billion and is expected to continue to grow in the COVID-19 context,” said Savadia.“Jamaica is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this growing opportunity. We are an English-speaking country, we have the talent and now, through the Amber HEART Academy, we will build the competencies.”
Dushyant Savadia, Founder & CEO of the Amber Group addresses the first cohort of the Amber HEART Academy at their orientation last week at the Stony Hill campus of the HEART/NSTA Trust.
The technical curriculum, equipment and training will be undertaken by the Amber Innovations business line of the Amber Group, and facilitated through the HEART/NSTA Trust.
Students will undergo an intensive year-long residency training at the Stony Hill HEART/NSTA campus with an internship component, where they will work with seasoned developers to work on software development solutions. Upon successful completion of the programme, the then graduates will be guaranteed jobs within the Amber Group.
The students began training on January 12 this year.
Students of the Amber HEART Coding Academy
National Director of HOPE, and Board Member of the HEART/NSTA Trust, Colonel Martin Rickman said, “this initiative will provide a whole new world of opportunities for these participants, and for the country.”
“This new generation of coders would have left the programme having gained not only technical skills, but also soft skills such as stress management, problem solving, creativity, and an innovative mindset to transform the world and position Jamaica as the next technological hub of the region. I would like to thank the Amber Group and in particular, Mr. Dushyant Savadia for his vision of the concept and co-sponsoring this initiative,” Rickman added.
The Amber Group has created game changing software applications for a number of companies and governments across the region since its inception five years ago.
Some of these include the Amber Connect vehicle tracking and fleet management solution, which is the first in the world to adapt artificial intelligence in vehicle security, the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo.) Application, and the JAMCOVID-19 application.
The latter, the world’s first end-to-end pandemic management system, which has since been replicated to serve seven Caribbean islands after its success in Jamaica last year.
“In five short years, we’ve formed one of the largest technology conglomerates in the Caribbean, operating right out of Jamaica. We build technology products which are mind blowing, even to the Western world. That is the potential of this country, that is the innovative ability of this country,” said Savadia.
Resource - https://www.heart-nsta.org/the-amber-heart-nsta-coding-academy-officially-launched/
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