PROJECT and cost management consultant Faithful and Gould is helping to shape a degree course at Northumbria University.

About 20 Faithful and Gould staff are on a quantity surveying course at the university.

Because the firm provides more students for the course than any other, it has been able to influence the curriculum.

Gary Best, quantity surveying course leader at the university, said: "Faithful and Gould staff have helped to influence curriculum development, and students from the company bring their practical experience into the classroom discussion, to the benefit of their peers.

"A number of students on the full-time course are also taken on by Faithful and Gould for their placement year, and as a consequence a lot go on to work for the company after graduation."

Geoff Shaw, corporate learning and development manager at Faithful and Gould, said: "The quantity surveying degree course is a good qualification to have in our line of business and that's why we chose to support the course at Northumbria University."