Bosses from a national car rental firm have been presented with ideas on how to improve customer service by a group of Bradford students who have been observing the business.

A group of 170 first-year students at Carlton Bolling College have been looking at ways to further improve customer service at Enterprise Rent-a-Car, which has three branches in the city.

They presented their ideas – formulated as part of their personal, social, health and economic course – to managers from Enterprise’s regional office. Their suggestions include rap songs, staff room posters and ‘jingle’ reminders to put on the CD player while travelling to work.

The youngsters found out about the Enterprise Rent-a-Car operations through visits, video clips and background research which included learning about the high priority placed on customer service by Enterprise Ubaid Naseem, Carlton Bolling enterprise co-ordinator, said: “This is one of a number of ways that we equip students with skills for learning and life. Presenting them with a challenge that involves a real company and has a purposeful outcome really motivates the students.

“Not only do they see the point of getting involved, but they start to find out about real employers and meet great role models. It gets them thinking about their own career paths.”

The project is part of a national government-funded programme – SLN Unlocking Talent & Potential – which works alongside school leaders and teachers to show how connecting classroom learning with local employers can help to develop skills, aspirations and motivation in young people.

The programme is being run by national charity Schools Linking Network, which is piloting 40 projects in Bradford, Birmingham and Croydon.

Richard Costello, Enterprise regional manager, said: “We have a strong commitment to contribute to the communities in which we operate, including working with young people in schools.

“We were particularly attracted to this project because it is not just a simulation or classroom exercise. I have no doubt the students will come up with some great ideas about customer service and, assuming that is the case, we will use them.”