Extraordinary Engineering

Lucas Savage OG 2020 Former School Captain

I’d always assumed I would end up at uni. I was offered places at Bristol, Durham and Nottingham for physics and philosophy, and going straight to university is the route that most of my year group would be taking.

When I first heard about the Dyson apprenticeship, I thought it was an interesting idea. Although paired with Warwick University, it’s completely separate to UCAS and is designed to allow UK tech companies to run their own degree apprenticeships, so I applied with the thinking it was just another potential option.

To begin with I didn’t take it too seriously, it was only towards the end I really started to consider going to the Dyson Institute. When it came to making my decision, it was a difficult choice to make.

A resource like RGS Connect seemed too good not to be used whilst I was deciding where to go. It gave me access to industry professionals who I would never normally be able to contact and in my experience, everyone I connected with was extremely friendly and responsive. Just as I was having to make my decision on where to go, I was able to connect with an engineer at Dyson.

It wasn’t an easy decision to make but Will Kerr (see page 32 for his feature on life at one of the UK’s most enterprising firms) was highly supportive and gave me a greater understanding about the company. I feel I got a real insight into what to expect and being able to seek advice from someone on the ground, helped me make my mind up. I’m thrilled to be one of only 35 people accepted onto the programme.

The best way to get an impression of what the culture of a business or university is like is to speak with the people who have lived through it.

As to be expected, it’s a demanding programme. I was recently asked if I was classified as a student or an engineer and to be honest, I’m both, depending on the day of the week. On Monday, Tuesday and Friday I work as an engineer in different design groups within Dyson. Over the next two years I will spend time with the hardware, software and mechanical engineering teams on a four-month rotation.

On a Wednesday and Thursday, I am essentially a regular student. I have my lectures at Warwick University – these are usually fairly intense given that all of our lectures are squeezed into these two days!

But this will all be worth it because when I graduate, on top of the BEng (Hons) Engineering I will have a level 6-degree apprenticeship and significant professional experience that may be sufficient for me to apply for chartership should I choose to pursue engineering. I have only just started out, so I have no firm plan for after I graduate by any means. But if I get a 2i or above in the degree, I will have a guaranteed job at Dyson, and this is certainly a potential option.

Have I met James Dyson…? Yes. Despite the current COVID-19 situation, I have seen him twice since I arrived. He did an announcement about the Dyson Institute gaining degree awarding powers – meaning my year will be the last year to get a degree from Warwick, after that they will get a degree from the Dyson Institute themselves. And I saw him again in a random corridor within Dyson – he was very friendly. Furthermore,

some engineers in the years above me have been able to present design ideas to James Dyson. This is pretty exciting given that he is more than capable of putting good ideas into action.

I’m lucky. The right person joined RGS Connect at the right time for me. You can never be certain that you always make the correct decision, but I know I am very happy with where I’m at.

To those OGs graduating after me, I’d advise that when making big decisions, it’s often easy to get wrapped up in factual detail about courses, accommodation and other factors such as these. It is very difficult however to get a good impression of what studying/ working at a student place might feel like day to day and whether you’ll be happy there. Reading websites and articles may help but I found that the best way to get an impression of what the culture of a business or university is like is to speak with the people who have lived through it. Remember, the people who have lived through it are not necessarily the same as the people writing websites and other information.

Because I did reach out to someone who knew the ropes, I am now really enjoying working at the Dyson Institute, and the wide variety of challenges it delivers. It is very hard work but the development that I have seen happen in just the month and a half that I’ve been here gives a real sense of achievement. Arguably, I still have not experienced the ‘normal’ Dyson experience, but I can tell you that they look after their undergrads really well.