A Birmingham businessman born and bred in Alum Rock, B8, has spoken of his pride after recently collecting his MBE, marking a major milestone in a career that has combined enterprise, social impact and a long-standing commitment to skills and opportunity.
Safaraz Ali, received the honour in recognition of his services to diversity and inclusion in business. Raised in Alum Rock, Safaraz comes from a family rooted in Birmingham’s working communities. His father worked at IMI in Witton as a Team Leader Furnace Preparer in titanium production, and that background, he says, helped shape his understanding of hard work, industry and aspiration from an early age.
Before building businesses of his own, Safaraz began his professional career in banking and financial services. He later moved into social entrepreneurship, going on to establish and lead ventures across skills, employability, care and social impact. He has now spent 24 years building and growing enterprises that focus not only on commercial success, but on creating meaningful opportunities for others.
Over the last 10 years, a growing part of that work has centred on apprenticeships and skills reform. Through his leadership of Pathway Group and the Multicultural Apprenticeship & Skills Alliance, Safaraz has become a prominent voice in promoting apprenticeships as a high-value route to success and progression.
At the heart of that mission has been a determination to challenge outdated perceptions.
For Safaraz, apprenticeships should not be seen as a fallback option for people with limited choices, but as a credible, ambitious and respected pathway into careers, leadership and long-term economic mobility.
He has consistently championed the idea that apprenticeships need rebranding in the minds of parents, employers, educators and communities, so they are understood as a positive first choice rather than a second-best route.
Speaking exclusively to UK News Group after receiving the honour, Safaraz said: “It was a real privilege to receive my MBE and a moment I will never forget. Meeting The Princess Royal made the occasion even more special and brought home the significance of the honour in a very personal way.
What this recognition really does is strengthen my sense of responsibility. It reinforces why the work around skills, social mobility and inclusive leadership matters, and why it is important to keep pushing for better outcomes.
This honour would not have been possible without the support of so many people around me to our patrons and sponsors, and to the communities we work with every day.
I am also proud of my roots in Birmingham, and of the role Birmingham City University has played in shaping my journey.”
Over the years, Safaraz has built a reputation as a business leader who bridges enterprise with purpose. His work has focused on helping individuals gain skills, confidence and employment, while also supporting employers, communities and institutions to think differently about talent, inclusion and progression.
For many across Birmingham and the West Midlands, this recognition will be seen not just as a personal honour, but as acknowledgement of a wider body of work that has sought to open doors, reshape perceptions and create lasting impact through business and skills.
