Apple readying to open Apple Developer Academy in Korea: vice pres Jackson

Apple Inc. is readying to open the fifth Apple Developer Academy, the iPhone makers’ intensive course and support program for the iOS ecosystem and developer community to groom app developers and entrepreneurs, in South Korea where app economy has been burgeoning at a staggering pace.

“I look at the developers that created the apps Snow and KakaoBank, talented Korean developers who have achieved tremendous success on the App Store, and I know there are so many students who dream to follow in their footsteps,” said Lisa Jackson, vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives at Apple, in an exclusive interview with Maeil Business Newspaper.

“Korean developers have seen tremendous success in the global iOS app economy, and our goal is to support and empower the next generation of Korean innovators, entrepreneurs, and coders who want to engage with customers around the world — mirroring the success Academy graduates have seen in Brazil, Indonesia and Italy.

She added, “We want to build on their success, and help aspiring Korean developers be part of this local and global iOS app economy.”

The Apple Developer Academy is a training program organized by Apple partnering with universities around the world to provide one-year free training to grow a new generation of app developers. It is currently operating in Brazil, Indonesia and Italy. Its first academy in the U.S. will be set up in Detroit, Michigan this year.

Anyone who is 18 years or older can apply, regardless of their academic background or whether they have previous coding experience.

“We believe that anyone can learn to code — and we have some of the world’s best instructors who will teach those skills,” Jackson said.

She said that graduates of the Apple Developer Academy would be equipped with the skills and training to pursue their dream jobs — or even to start their own businesses.

“Of course our program focuses on teaching coding, but we also offer a robust curriculum that truly prepares students for future careers, and we work closely with students on workforce development, including hosting career fairs and arranging a variety of networking and career coaching opportunities,” Jackson said.

Apple last year revealed its intention to invest 25 billion won ($22.6 million) to build a Developer Academy in Korea with an aim to train 200 students annually in partnership with local universities and startups. This was part of Apple’s pledge to contribute 100 billion won in programs for consumer and mobile phone carriers to address concerns about the company’s alleged violation of competition law in Korea.

Apple has created 325,000 jobs in Korea, including 200,000 jobs in the iOS app economy, with the numbers still climbing, according to the company.

Apple iOS has a higher entry barrier than Android but it offers a broader market for app developers as it covers a wide range of platforms on the iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad.

Jackson said the Apple Developer Academy offers both introductory courses and a full multi-month program designed to enhance students’ software development skills on iOS and provide additional curriculum related to design, marketing, and professional skills. The students work in teams and are required to make an app every three to four weeks, which they release on the App Store. They can build up their portfolio and compete with other developers in competitions.

“I’ve had the pleasure of meeting graduates of our Apple Developer Academy programs in Italy and Indonesia, and I’ve been blown away by the ways the Academy has transformed their career trajectory,” Jackson said. “The Apple Developer Academy program opens so many doors to opportunity for participants — and we’re so excited to see the incredible things Korean students will accomplish.”

Lee Jae-sung, a two-time scholarship winner of the Swift Student Challenge at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in 2019 and 2020 and who now works for a local startup called Sendbird, said 70 to 80 of the 350 WWDC scholarship winners were from Brazil and Europe and graduates of Apple’s Developer Academy. He said having an Academy in Korea would help create more Korean contents and invigorate the iOS developer community in Korea.

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