Dyson plugging the skills gap

Dyson has opened a new technology and research centre in Singapore, because of a shortage of skilled engineers in the UK. This short 1-minute film highlights the fact that 40% of Singapore's graduates qualify in science and engineering compared to the UK's 4%, giving external economies of scale for the research and development task carried out there.

But the British investor hasn't given up on the UK, and is looking to plug the gap with new home-grown talent. Dyson is investing heavily in the UK, planning to double their current research facility in Malmesbury, Wiltshire to 6,000 staff by 2020. There is already a Dyson School of Design Engineering at Imperial College in London, and in September Warwick University will take the first 25 students on a new Dyson Engineering Degree on a sandwich course which will combine four years of academic study at Warwick with periods working alongside the 3,000 R&D staff in the company's headquarters at Malmesbury, Wiltshire. The students will be paid a salary and will not incur any university fees.

The man who decided to manufacture his own inventions after his design ideas had been turned away by the established producers, now says that the idea of launching the university came after he visited the government to “moan about the lack of engineers”. He was advised to take matters into his own hands. He has a great track record of doing just that, so why would he not make a success of this?