Many people know Dyson for their household appliances such as vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, blameless fans, hair dryers, heaters, hand dryers and lights. Dyson has also been working to address the widening engineering skills gap within the UK. In 2016 Dyson’s founder, James Dyson, announced plans to open a higher education institution within the UK. Its doors have been open since September 2017 welcoming its first cohort of students pursuing BEng degrees while working three days a week for Dyson as engineers.
Exeter Mathematics School is just one of the maths schools within our network which has fostered a relationship with Dyson. Dyson has introduced several programs to the student body ranging from workshops to apprenticeship programs. Alongside their A-Levels Exeter Maths School students complete the Exeter Mathematics certificate (EMC) during which the students must complete a research project. One such project was done in partnership with Dyson. Dyson staff set students a challenge to produce theoretical ideas for making a different version of their robot vacuum cleaner and reducing engine noise.
One of the results for Exeter maths school students completing projects with Dyson is that students have gone on to join Dyson for degree apprenticeships—three in the last year alone! The partnership has been incredibly fruitful for students allowing them to explore the world of mathematics beyond school.
Last year King’s College London Mathematics School year 12 students were able to visit The Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology and tour its state-of-the art undergraduate village. This was a continuation of an incredible relationship that the sixth-form and Dyson have fostered. Many KCLMS students have joined the institute over the past few years. The students love the unique offering of the Dyson institute. To learn about everything from robotics to software or aerodynamics whilst getting hands-on job experience at Dyson is incredibly appealing for the budding engineers.
The Dyson Institute actively seeks to challenge the misconceptions about engineering and to encourage more young people of every background to consider engineering as a career.
