By day, Taj-Rae Outerbridge works as acting assistant park planner at the Department of Parks. In his spare time, he runs new business TKO Locksmith.

He became interested in the trade while studying horticulture in Chelmsford, Essex, in England.

“Everyone thinks you can get locked out of things,” Mr Outerbridge said. “You can get locked into things as well. I became interested in locksmithing when me and my family got trapped in a bedroom.”

A locksmith freed them within minutes. Mr Outerbridge could not see what was happening on the other side of the door, but was fascinated by the process.

“I thought it was a really interesting skill set,” he said.

Curious, he took a locksmith course during his Christmas break.

When he returned to Bermuda in March to work as a horticulturalist, he began helping friends and family with their lock problems on the side.

“I realised there were only around three other locksmiths in Bermuda,” he said. “I thought this is an industry I could get into and get some clients. Locksmithing is a very overlooked, underappreciated skill until you need a locksmith.”

With few young people entering the trade, Mr Outerbridge launched TKO a few months ago.

He enjoys the resourcefulness locksmithing demands. Even familiar jobs can present new problems, he said.

“There is a lot of improvising on the job,” he said. “I like using my brain, so I quite enjoy puzzles and figuring them out.”

Some of the more challenging jobs involve animals locked in vehicles.

“I am trying to get the door open, and the animal is like, ‘Who are you?’,” he said. “The owner is trying to calm the animal down while I’m doing my thing.”

Running TKO alongside his day job and family life has been demanding.

“I do emergency services, so I try to make myself available whenever I can,” he said. “I never know when my phone is going to ring. It could be 2am. Emergencies are not planned.”

He travels by motorcycle with an emergency kit and is gradually adding tools as he learns what different jobs require. His kit includes drills, screwdrivers, screws, bolts, hammers and mallets, as well as more specialised tools.

“I’m always looking online for the next tool,” he said.

The biggest challenge, he said, is turning down jobs when other commitments take priority.

Mr Outerbridge is part of the latest Bermuda Economic Development Corporation business accelerator programme.

“I am learning a lot about business entrepreneurship and stuff, and also being amongst other entrepreneurs who might be at a stages of entrepreneurship as myself,” he said. “Some are more advanced and some might not even be where I am. It is good to learn from each other.”

His goal is to eventually hire another locksmith to work at TKO. That would allow him to remain involved while continuing his work as a horticulturalist.

• For more information, seetkolocksmith.com