MANILA, Philippines--Software development firm Gurango Software is set to establish a training facility on Microsoft business applications.

The facility will be an offshoot of Gurango Software though it has been offering training for some time.

Gurango Software Chief Operating Officer Fermin Taruc said in an interview that the facility would be initially housed at the Gurango Software office in Libis, Quezon City.

Plans to put up a facility in a separate location, as well as other curriculums on Microsoft business applications are underway, he said.

?We already have an initial run for students. This batch will be hired by Gurango Software already. The next batch will start in June,? Taruc said.

The software academy will be open to fresh graduates and other professionals wanting to shift careers on IT consulting.

The academy will initially provide a 3-month consultant and developer program on Microsoft Dynamics AX, after which trainees will take Microsoft certification examinations.

The company will also provide job assistance and placement to its graduates.

As part of its plans to entice students, the company is offering P3 million worth of training vouchers to selected scholars.

These scholars will receive stipends during the program, as well as a chance to be hired by the software company.

In a statement, Gurango Software CEO Joey Gurango said he expects demand for IT consulting graduates to increase, particularly in areas where his company has been offering its services.

Gurango said among the countries where the company is present include Australia, Singapore, and the Middle Eastern Gulf region.

?Despite of the global economic slowdown, industry analysts and experts are one in saying that there remain pockets of growth for the industry. For the global Microsoft Dynamics market in particular, customer investments on services and support will increase, thus creating a huge demand for skilled and experienced IT consultants worldwide," Gurango said.