Eydens took on Coventry University students Chloe Daffern and Kishore Suseela, providing them with hands-on industry experience to help open the doors to careers after graduating.
The partnership was established through Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, which both are members of.
Chloe joined the business as a marketing co-ordinator in 2023 on a part-time basis alongside studying a BA (Hons) in Business and Marketing and then an MSc in International Marketing Management at the university.
Originally taken on to manage Eydens’ social media channels, she was quickly entrusted with increasing responsibilities and worked on everything from marketing strategy and brand development to events and sales.
After graduating, Chloe was offered a full-time role with Eydens before moving when she secured a role as a marketing and communications lead in the automotive sector.
She said: “I’m extremely grateful to everyone at Eydens. They were so supportive and taught me a lot of new skills and were also extremely flexible, allowing me to work around my course.
“My role at Eydens helped me to develop a lot of industry experience and provided me with an opportunity to use the skills I was developing through my degree which has helped me secure a full-time marketing and communications role.”
Kishore joined the business this year to conduct a 12-week consultancy project for his MSc Business Analytics course at the university.
The project involved conducting market research to understand the marketplace and the public perception of Eydens.
Kishore said: “I was connected with Eydens through the talent team at the university. It was a completely new industry to me so there was a lot to learn, but the whole team was very welcoming.
“I captured data on the products available in the marketplace, competitor pricing and reviews of the company.
“I had to make sure all of my research was accurate and ethical, while also being useful to Eydens, and I found it incredibly interesting to deal with real-life data.
“I am now due to graduate and am looking for employment opportunities, and gaining workplace experience will stand me in good stead for my search.”
Rob Eyden, of Eydens Locksmiths and Security, said: “We have developed an extremely strong relationship with Coventry University which meant we have been able to offer two of their students work placements.
“It was fantastic to see Chloe flourish in her role. Her confidence grew immensely and by the end of her time with us she was exposed to customers and suppliers, while also making some incredibly valuable contributions to the marketing of the business.
“Kishore provided us with some excellent insights on the marketplace during his project, providing us with the confidence that we are stocking the right products at the right price.
“It’s been fantastic to provide Chloe and Kishore with industry experience as they embark on their careers. I would like to thank them both for all of their hard work and wish them every success in the future.”
Ange Lennox, of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It is fantastic to see two chamber members develop such a strong partnership which has resulted in them collaborating to provide young people in the city with hands-on industry experience which will go on to help shape their future careers.”
