Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 26, 2013 (SKNIS): The Mobile Apps workshop organized by the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis in January 2012, provided a good start for two young men in particular, who have since produced several applications on their way to starting formalized training in software engineering.
Javian Trotman, 19, and Andre Knight, 18, recently sat down with SKNIS and revealed that they have used the knowledge to ensure the twin-island Federation has a presence on the Android market.
“The first app we did was called ‘Basket Turnover’, Trotman explained, noting that its development was a challenge from a lecturer at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College.
To meet this challenge the group recruited classmate Orren Joseph, 18, and took about three weeks to produce the game which requires players to place various tropical fruits found in St. Kitts and Nevis into corresponding baskets. The pace of the falling fruits gets faster as the player progresses.
The app was uploaded to the Android Market on March 12, 2013 by MadeinSKN and received positive reviews from persons who downloaded it.
The ability of the team, which was first recognized in 2012, allowed for the cementing of a relationship with a local online company that partnered with the Department of Technology by providing mentors for the Mobile Apps Workshop.
The company, that provides local news and information on various categories including sports, entertainment, and community developments, recently worked with the team to produce an app that has been downloaded by more than 500 persons to date since its August 12 launch.
“It’s good, I think it’s on its way,” Knight explained, expressing pride that they were able to produce this app. He revealed that the company is generally pleased with the look and feel of the mobile app and added that continued upgrades will be made to fix potential bugs.
The young men all expressed an interest in pursuing a career in software development. They said the Mobile App Workshop was a good start towards this goal being that persons were exposed to various processes and coding language.
Orren Joseph said that persons involved in this field can also translate the intangibles of problem solving to their personal lives. The team complimented the Government for hosting such a workshop and expressed sentiments for a similar initiative to be held.
They also encouraged their peers to put technological tools such as laptops and smart phones to good use in developing their skills and interests.