Microsoft, a global ICT giant, has organised an information technology workshop, to motivate Ghanaian students to develop applications that can be used to solve real life problems in Ghana and the African continent.
The initiative was aimed to expose students to Microsoft technologies such as Bing Search, Windows Phone 8, Windows 8, Windows Azure, Visual Studio and open source technology.
Addressing students at Ghana Technology University College in Accra, Mr Shina Oyetoso, Developer Platform Evangelist of Microsoft said Microsoft had initiatives such as Dream Spark, imagine cup, students to business, build your business programme and employability portals to equip students and start-ups.
According to him, the dream spark initiative gives students free access to Microsoft designer and developer tools helping to advance key technical skills.
He said with the initiative, students can develop their own applications using Microsoft’s designer and developer tools.
“We are just exposing them to what Microsoft technologies are and what they do so they will be able develop application using our technologies, so they can sell to make money for themselves”, he added.
He said Microsoft had a training programme designed to support aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs.
Mr Oyetoso said the initiative would provide the students with start-ups with skills to grow to become competitors in the industry.
On the students to business programme, he said the initiative would seek to match them with jobs or internships in the technology industry.
Mr Oyetoso tasked students to develop software and applications that could be adopted as a powerful tool to boost economic growth and poverty reduction.
He expressed Microsoft’s commitment to use its technologies to help solve problems for sustainable growth on the African continent.
