Renowned Architectural Practice builds academic partnership with Newcastle Business School

Award-winning architectural design practice FaulknerBrowns Architects believes education partnerships with universities can help improve performance and attract the highest quality talent.

Established in 1962, the internationally recognised practice, based in Newcastle, has a long track record of using Continual Professional Development (CPD) courses, such as leadership development, to give its staff the skills and motivation to succeed in a globally competitive and dynamic marketplace. One of the mainstay academic partners for FaulknerBrowns is Newcastle Business School at Northumbria University, recently named Business School of the Year in the prestigious Times Higher Education Awards 2015. The firm currently has ten members of staff enrolled at the school, each studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Leadership Development.

Colin Peebles, Operations Director at FaulknerBrowns, said: “As a business we have always taken the development of our staff very seriously; even during the recession we recognised the benefits – it’s part of our culture and how we think. Courses from Newcastle Business School typically come with more academic and study disciplines, so we feel they have greater impact than others. They also offer certification awards, which is important for us and of real value to our employees.

“Our latest collaboration with Newcastle Business School involves ten managers studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Leadership Development. This represents almost 10% of our workforce which is a considerable investment on our part. The course includes a strong element of self-awareness and personal leadership evaluation, so participants discover a great deal about themselves and their strengths and weaknesses. It also integrates this well with the latest thinking on project management, which is a huge part of what we do. Feedback from our architects and technologists has been extremely positive; the course helps them build on their day-to-day responsibilities, leading to better performing individuals and better performing teams.

“We are based here in the North East, but we compete for work across the UK and internationally, so attracting and retaining top quality talent is crucial. Offering education and training with organisations like Newcastle Business School plays a significant role in this.”

Doctor Johan Coetsee, from Newcastle Business School, added: “We are proud of our relationship with FaulknerBrowns, and of the partnership role we feel we can play in their continuing success. Our courses are heavily research-informed and aim to expose students to new ideas in leadership that have real world impact. We want them to learn how to create a culture of achievement that not only facilitates long-term growth but also develops future leaders.”

For more information on CPD courses with Newcastle Business School please call Dr Johan Coetsee (0191 227 3843) or email him at johan.coetsee@northumbria.ac.uk