COMPETITION for places on the first RAC Scholarship Awards scheme - the £50,000 fleet industry training initiatives supported and funded by the RAC and run in conjunction with the Institute of Car Fleet Management - is hotting up. With a month to go before the cut-off date for applications - February 20 - a total of 46 fleet managers have now expressed interest in applying for one of the eight places available on the first 16-month training programme leading to an RAC Scholarship Award, an ICFM diploma in car fleet management and probable election as an ICFM Fellow.

Places will be awarded on merit and on a competitive basis with membership of the ICFM at 'member' level a pre-requisite for acceptance on the scheme. Twelve of the advance registrations received are from ICFM members already with 'member' status, three people have joined the ICFM as a result of the scheme and have been accepted at 'member' level, while the remaining applications have been received from 'associate' members requesting consideration, people who applications to join the Institute are now being processed and 25 fleet managers who have expressed an interest in applying for the scheme but who have still to take action.