Those hoping to begin a career as an inventor and entrepreneur may be about to receive the boost they need with the announcement that vacuum cleaner inventor James Dyson is set to open a new academy for those hoping to follow in his foot steps.

The engineering academy will help train up new creative engineers in order to help fill the skills shortage that currently threatens the UK's once buoyant engineering industry.

Speaking at the official launch of the academy, which will be known as the Dyson School of Design Innovation, Mr Dyson said: "We have a meagre 24,000 graduates in engineering compared with 300,000 in China and 450,000 in India.

"Economically, we could be in trouble sooner than we think if we don't ensure that we protect and encourage our intellectual property."

In recent years, the UK has seen a sharp fall in the number of students graduating from university with degrees in engineering, leading to many vacancies opening up in the industry.

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