Smartphones and tablets are here to stay, which makes mobile apps, those programs on your devices, kind of a big deal.

With two new grants totaling almost $200,000, Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School students will be able to create their own apps while expanding their job possibilities.

This month, the school received a $93,800 grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center for the computer information sciences department as well as a $90,000 Digital Connections Partnership to improve Internet access.

“It’s an important grant for our school community,” said Computer Information Science teacher Ryan Robidoux. “We’re going to become more and more important because computer use and technology use is only increasing, especially with mobile devices.”

Marcia Kessler, the technology integration specialist/data coordinator, wrote the grants and said the Mass Life Science funds will be used, in part, to purchase five new technology carts that will include new laptops, Android tablets and iPads. The variety will give students the ability to create platforms for different brands.

“We’re trying to hit everybody, the major app platforms,” said Kessler.

App development isn’t new at Old Colony. Students have been creating their own designs on the school’s computers, but without tablets to test them, Robidoux said he’s had to use his own phone.

“Now that we have this grant, all kids in the shop will be able to test right on the tablet,” he said.

The additional computers and tablets will also be a boost to the senior CIS students as they learn to use JAVA, a program needed for developing Android apps. They currently use an “archaic” program that is not applicable to newer technologies.

Kessler and Robidoux say the new technologies will help students enter the job market earlier or supplement their income during college.

“There could very well be jobs opening that don’t require four-year degree, or better yet, they could be doing some work on the side to pay for college. We just want to get kids as many opportunities as possible,” Robidoux said.

A portion of the grant funds will also go towards purchasing additional materials for the freshman and sophomore science and technology engineer classes, including 3D printers. The class requires students to design and create various projects.

“All inventions get made out of straws or cardboard or other disposable consumable materials,” said Kessler. “We’re looking to put 3D printers in there so kids can actually produce a product.”

The Mass Life Sciences grant’s announcement almost simultaneously with the Digital Connections grant is “the perfect storm,” said Kessler.

The $90,000 grant will improve the school’s wireless network, which will be crucial as at least 100 new devices.

The Digital Connections grant also begins sooner, so the school can upgrade the network and have it ready for the fall, as the Mass Life Sciences grant does not take effect until the summer. CIS courses will incorporate app development increasingly into classes come fall semester, and eventually students’ apps might be in your own pocket.

So the next time someone says “there’s an app for that,” look at the name of the developer, it just might be a student from Old Colony.