مجلس التعليم » 77 خريجا من مراكز ساس لتطوير تطبيقات الهواتف الذكية ومحاكاة الواقع

17-06-2019

Times of Oman

Muscat: In an event held on Sunday at ITA’s Sas Center for Mobile Apps Development, the Information Technology Authority (ITA) celebrated the successful graduation of 77 trainees from a number of training programmes.

The event was under the patronage of Dr Said bin Khamis Alkabi, CEO of the Public Authority for Consumer Protection (PACP) and in the presence of Dr Salim Alruzaiqi, CEO of ITA and ITA management and some officials.

During the event, a number of 3 batches of different IT training programmes were honored including 44 trainees of the 10th batch of mobile apps development programme, 27 of the 16 batch of virtual reality intensive training programme and 6 trainees of on/job training programme.

On this occasion, the guest of honour of the ceremony, Dr Said Bin Khamis Al Kaabi, Chairman of the public Authority for Consumer Protection, said "What we witnessed today in this great exhibition is a demonstration of the innovative spirit in trying to simulate the virtual world as well as interest in the creation of applications related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The developed applications by graduates today show that our youth are equipped with the knowledge and know-how and they can create apps that can touch the lives of people.

About the developed apps, Said bin Hamdoon Al Harthy, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport and Communications for Ports and Maritime Affairs, ITA’s Board member, said, "The applications produced by the talented youth during their training period are excellent and promising. We have seen applications and smart programs produced by the trainees in the fields of education, health, which can serve all segments of society. We hope that these programs and applications will succeed in the future and reach the global market and this needs support from the government and private sector.”

Dr Salim Al Ruzaiqi, CEO of ITA said, "Today, we celebrate the graduation of a group of Omani youth who have been trained in technical fields that are in line with global developments such as the development of smart phone applications and the simulation of virtual reality and have become fully qualified by specialised technical skills. We believe that these training programs can open to the Omani youth many opportunities either to join the job market within their specialisation or help them launch their own startups where they invest in the skills they have been trained on.

The celebration began with a speech by Hassan Fida Al Lawati, DG, Digital Society Development Division at ITA in which said, “ITA strives to support Omani youth and encourage them to innovate and develop their skills in various ICT areas. To achieve this goal, ITA has signed a number of strategic partnerships with a number of international companies to provide a number of services including training services that can help Omani youth enhance their competencies, including the emerging technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which will enable them to be prepared for the needs of the job market or work to establish their own businesses, which will boost the IT industry in the Sultanate.”

He further said, “The skills, knowledge and experience that young people have gained from their participation in these courses will undoubtedly have a significant impact on providing them with career opportunities or encouraging those who wish to continue their careers in the entrepreneurial world through SAS Center for Entrepreneurship, which will provide all the support they may need. On the other hand, These acquired skills will enable employees to apply what they have been trained on in their work environments, which will have a positive impact on their work.”

ITA has established a number of specialised training centers such as Sas Center for Mobile Apps Development, Sas Center for Virtual Reality and conducted various specialised on/job training with international companies. These centers and programs are designed to develop the skills and capabilities of Omani youth through specialised IT training programs on latest IT trends and to encourage them to innovate and turn their ideas into applications And sustainable businesses.

On their experiences in the training programmes, Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Balushi, one of the graduates from the on/job training programme by SAS Center for Mobile Apps Development said, “I was selected to complete the on/job training programme and the six-month period was full of new knowledge and experiences, Through daily or weekly lectures provided by trainers or by working on different types of applications. in addition, my skills were enhanced such as technical and personal skills including time management, working as a team, delivering courses and other skills.”

On the experience of the graduates of virtual reality program, Saud bin Humaid Al Gharabi said, "Our experience in the training was great as the center and course provided the necessary stools to create virtual reality contents and augmented reality applications across various platforms.”

"My participation in the training programme for one year was a quantum leap in my academic and practical life. The work environment in the training programme was very stimulating for learning and sharing experiences. I learned a lot and my skills were developed, which was one of the reasons that enabled me to get a job," said Shimaa Ahmed Al Shehhi, a graduate of the Specialized on/job Training Program in Information Security.

The ceremony also was accompanied with an exhibition where all projects showcase by graduates and participants of Sas Mobile and Sas.vrprograms.

It is worth to mention that since its establishment, SAS Center for Mobile Apps Development has successfully trained more than 1,000 youth and has developed more than 100 smart phone applications. In addition, at SAS Center for Virtual Reality, more than 600 of Omani youth were trained in virtual reality programs and more than 120 new projects were implemented.