Twenty-Two years! That’s how long Safaraz Ali has been involved in the employability and skills sector.
We are talking about experiences ranging from programmes covering ESOL funding in the days of FEFC to LSC through to Train to Gain, Adult Community Learning, Youth Contract, Troubled families, and the Innovation Fund.
Plenty of European Social Fund activities, such as Skills Support for Workforce, Skills Support for Unemployed, Skills Support for Redundancy, Skills Support for Work Programme and English and Maths Qualifications, to name a few in the 22 years.
We are also talking New Deal, Flexible New Deal, FND2, Work Programme and the current Restart programme.
In addition, we are talking about NEET provision, Traineeships, Advanced Learner Loans and, of course, the Adult Education Budget.
The Institute includes many of the leading names in promoting employability and works to share best practices and sets the standards for the profession.
Safaraz, as well as being the Co-founder of Pathway Group, is also the Founder of the Multicultural initiatives – Multicultural Apprenticeship Alliance and the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards that started as the Asian Apprenticeship Awards and became the BAME Apprenticeship Awards before its most recent incarnation.
The name changes, but the purpose stays the same: to encourage minority communities that are underrepresented in apprenticeship to consider this ‘earn and you learn’ pathway into work.
Safaraz was born in Birmingham into a family of Pakistani migrants living in the inner city of Birmingham. He struggled at school but then went back into education and graduated from Birmingham City University before entering the corporate world. He worked for several private sector financial services businesses, including Britannic Assurance and Sandwell Council.
His hands-on experience in running businesses began with his helping his father to run an independent shoe shop.
He started helping with employability as a volunteer working with Matthew Boulton College in Birmingham and taking education into the community, including going into Temples and Mosques.
“Employability is a huge topic and touches many different people in different ways,” said Safaraz.
“There are those who are disadvantaged and may have missed out on education, there are people who in mid-career need to gain new skills, perhaps because of redundancy, and there are also universities working with JobCentre Plus to help unemployed or under-employed graduates.”
“Helping people get into work is not just about helping to equip them with skills and qualifications.
“People who have not worked often have low self-esteem and little confidence,” Safaraz said.
“Building them up and helping them find hope and realise that things can improve is a big part.
“We change lives through skills and work. It is demanding but very rewarding.
“This fellowship is important because recognition from fellow professionals is gratifying. In addition, I want to share my knowledge and experience with others.”