Coventry University's Automotive Journalism graduates returned to the city for their graduation ceremony today - every one of them already working in the automotive or publishing industries.

Coventry University's automotive journalism students celebrate graduation, joined by lecturers and a global journalism colleague. From left: Dr John Lister, Owen Ready, Jack Rix, global journalist Bryony Tindall, Rosie McMahon, Rob Marshall and me

Four of the students have secured staff posts with motoring media, one is a successful freelance writer and one has secured a marketing post in the car industry:

• Owen Ready is working for Sky Motoring
• Jack Rix is a staff writer for Auto Express
• Rosie McMahon is a sub-editor at What Car?
• Rob Marshall is freelancing for UK and US motoring magazines
• Tom Phillips is about to join Dennis to work on a new motoring project
• Ian Mitchell is a product executive at Audi UK, working on A6, Q7 and allroad

That 100% success rate is a tribute to the hard work they've put in over the year they've been studying in Coventry. They've developed skills in writing, subbing and page layout, together with an understanding of the industry – and it's a combination which employers in motoring publishing are clearly crying out for.

Motoring publishers are increasingly turning to Coventry to fill vacancies on motoring titles, because they understand the value of the course and the quality of its graduates.

The course is now in its fourth year of producing high-quality graduates. Alumni from previous years - before I joined the team of lecturers, I should add - include Car Design News editor Eric Gallina, Matt Rigby of Autocar, Sean Moriarty of Motorsport News, Jon Quirk of Sky Motoring and Christopher Hubbard of Motoring Research.