SIR James Dyson and Minister of State for Universities and Science Jo Johnson, have broken ground in preparation for the development of the undergraduate village at the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology on Tuesday (November 28).

The undergraduate village will be the latest addition to Dyson’s 56-acre technology campus in Malmesbury. When it is completed in September next year, it will provide accommodation for Dyson’s undergraduate engineers, a library, café, screening room and a shop.

The new development includes 78 modular accommodation pods, where students will have their own front door, a bed, study area, shower room, storage and large windows which will make the most of Wiltshire’s views. They will also be fitted with the latest Dyson technology.

The Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology opened its doors to engineering students in September this year, and Dyson is expected to invest £31.5m in the Institute over the next five years.

Dyson’s specially selected engineering undergraduates are taught in specially designed research labs on the Malmesbury campus and will work towards a Bachelor of Engineering Degree awarded by the University of Warwick, as well as working three-days a week during term-time.

“You can see that there is already a campus feeling here in Malmesbury; we have a young team and over fifty nationalities represented on campus”, Sir Dyson explained. “It just seemed absolutely natural to take it one stage further by taking on school leavers and giving them a really unique and rigorous engineering education.

“Jo Johnson’s inspired legislation is enabling us to do something entirely new and very exciting. This is not an easy option for a student to choose. This is a real job and a degree combined. We are developing some truly exceptional engineers who will develop future Dyson technologies.”

Visiting the Malmesbury campus on Tuesday, Mr Johnson explained how last week’s Budget made clear that better training and skills are key to raising productivity and growth.

He said: “It is giving students the opportunity to get hands-on experience at Dyson while studying for their degree, learning about everything from robotics to software to aerodynamics. It is playing an important role in educating the next generation of much-needed engineers, giving young people the skills they need for the jobs of the future. It has been a pleasure to be here today and see the excellent work of the Institute in action.”

The pods will be arranged in a semi-circle around a two-story circular communal clubhouse which will be home to a library, café and screening room, which will provide 24-hour amenities for the undergraduates and Dyson’s wider campus population.

A further expansion will be accommodated at the newly acquired 750 acre campus at Hullavington Airfield, where Dyson is restoring the historic aircraft hangars.