TWO National Car Rental managers have become the first daily rental industry employees to sign up to the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association's new professional development programme. The six-stage programme, is aimed at giving contract hire, leasing and rental industry employees 'an academic path to career success'.

Run under the directorship of motor industry academic Professor Peter Cooke, of The Nottingham Trent University, the first courses are scheduled to start in September.

However, while the BVRLA says it has had more than 40 contract hire and leasing company employees enquiring about courses and gradually signing up to the programme, the daily rental sector has been slow to embrace the initiative.

But this week National Car Rental announced it had selected two employees - Nottingham area manager Caroline Rusga and Poole branch manager Andrew McLaren - to join the training programme.

They will embark on either the Certificate in Management (Automotive Industries) or Diploma in Management Studies (Automotive Industries) year-long courses with a view to other colleagues signing up to the programme.