Apple Wants to Teach You How to Make Apps

Interested in learning how to code and develop apps? Apple on Wednesday released a free app development curriculum designed for high school and community college students.

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The full-year curriculum, available as a free download in Apple's iBooks Store, was designed by Apple engineers and educators to teach students how to design apps using the iPhone maker's Swift programming language. A number of popular apps like Airbnb, Kayak, TripAdvisor, Venmo and Yelp were created with Swift.

Students who complete the curriculum will gain "critical job skills in software development and information technology," Apple said.

Six community college systems and select high schools across the U.S. will be among the first to offer the curriculum, starting this fall. They includes the Alabama Community College System, Columbus State Community College, Harrisburg Area Community College, Houston Community College, Mesa Community College and San Mateo Community College District. Local businesses at many of the participating campuses will also offer students mentoring and internships, Apple said.

In a statement, Apple CEO Tim Cook said "the app economy and software development are among the fastest-growing job sectors in America.

"We've seen firsthand the impact that coding has on individuals and the U.S. economy as a whole," he said. "We hope these courses will open doors for people of all ages and backgrounds to pursue what they love."

The new curriculum comes after Apple earlier this month pledged $1 billion to boost "advanced manufacturing" in the U.S.