I see that Wiltshire is to have a new university – its first. This will be c/o James Dyson who, fed up with the lack of engineers to choose from for his business, has decided to do something about it. His Dyson Institute of Technology [DIT] will begin by having its degrees validated by Warwick (why not Bath, I wondered), but there are plans (new legislation permitting) to become an institution in its own right.
He will pay his students who will work alongside his company's engineers. I think it may be over-subscribed. The fear must be, however, that rather than pull new students into engineering, it just takes students from existing courses, although introducing new capacity will militate against that.
The Wiltshire Gazette & Herald (required reading round here) said this:
"Jo Johnson, universities' minister, said: "The Dyson Institute of Technology will not only offer students the chance to study on cutting edge degree level programmes, it will also play a vital role in educating the next generation of much needed engineers. "Our reforms in the Higher Education and Research Bill, currently making its way through Parliament, will ensure students can choose from a wider range of high-quality specialist institutions that can seek their own degree awarding powers and meet students' diverse needs; providing employers with the skilled graduates that will drive future productivity and the economic prosperity of our country."
I hope that the DIT will have sustainability at its heart, and that it will work with local schools to draw as many students as possible from Wiltshire.
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