Undergraduate Engineer Review

In each of my workplace rotations I assist a team with real Dyson engineering projects. This may be directly on a product, a research area or product innovation to name a few. The work can consist of experiments or construction in labs, desk work for some research, data analysis, programming and meetings to get updates from The Dyson Institute team or update your team on your work. I spend 3 days in the workplace and 2 days studying towards my degree each week.

I have learnt an abundance of new soft an hard skills since starting the apprenticeship, both in the classroom and on the job. Since starting my confidence and communication skills have massively increased. If you ever need any specific training to undertake a workplace activity Dyson are always happy to put you on a course. The Dyson Institute team run wellbeing and development days where we are able to focus on our personal and professional development.

Overall I am very happy on the course and glad it did it over the traditional university route. The workplace teams are very helpful and understanding you have just come out of A levels but it is very rewarding when you do contribute to product development. It can get very busy sometimes juggling coursework, exams and work but there is enough time if you plan well. Despite having a busing schedule we still find time to go out.

I believe The Dyson Institute is one of the best structured courses out there. We have a comprehensive induction, technical staff dedicated to helping us with our studies, others managing our workplace rotations and many more. Our lectures moved online within the first week of the pandemic just so we didn't loose out on any teaching. Each cohort is assigned a student support advisor who you have a monthly 1:1 with and can discuss everything that's going well or that you're struggling with.

In each rotation you have a line manager who is responsible for managing your personal development any will respond to any issues. In most cases you also have a mentor who is familiar with your project and can help you with day-to-day tasks. The Dyson Institute team are also very good at responding to any suggestions or issues you are having, either personal or about the course.

Dyson are very invested in us getting the best degree and studying experience as possible. The academics in The Dyson Institute team run regular tutorials and can be personally contacted in working hours for assistance.

Since we work on real Dyson projects it is not always possible to line up working on something in the workplace that you are studying in lectures, but I commonly find topics I've learnt in lectures come in useful at work. I find I learn the most skills with my team by getting stuck into the workplace activities.

Despite being much smaller than a traditional university there are lots of activities we do together. If there is something you are particularly interested in it is possible to get support to set up a club. We are able to use the Dyson sports facilities for free and have an evening where the hall is dedicated to our use. Buses are put on for us to be able to go for nights out in Bristol and Bath.

Yes

It is a great opportunity to get 4 years of valuable and enjoyable work experience while studying. We get a lot of 1:1 and small class support not common in a traditional university. I feel The Dyson Institute are invested in our futures, plus it enables you to graduate debt free.

If you're not sure, give it a go as it's great interview and application experience for later in life. Think about if there are any engineering based projects you have done or would like to do and bring these up in interviews. At the end of the day they want to see if you have some technical knowledge, a passion for engineering and whether an apprenticeship will suit you.