Midlands Engine: The Challenge

Ninder Johal, who joins Saf as his guest talks about the business landscape in the English Midlands. Both men have an Asian heritage, but they share their passion for Birmingham and the surrounding area that is now home. They address some telling questions such as whether Birmingham is the UK’s second city by name only and what can be done to raise its profile across the globe.

They discuss the journey from a past based on heavy engineering to the present and look to the future Safaraz Ali is joined by a long-time colleague and friend Ninder Johal as they discuss the state of business in the English Midlands, the place that they both call home. Ninder began his business career in the music industry.

He is now an adviser, non-executive director, founder of the Signature awards that celebrate the best in business, as well as publisher of the Business Influencer magazine. Safaraz has described Ninder as a guru and mentor.

They share their experiences of a life in business and how the place where they live had to change and reinvent itself, moving from heavy engineering based upon automotive to high technology and services.

The discussion includes an analysis of where things have been done well and less well. Saf and Ninder discuss concerns about why they believe the education system is letting young people and businesses down. They agree that making sure there is a supply of talent is crucial and Saf shares his passion for apprenticeships and the role that earning as you learn has to play in ensuring a world class workforce. The two men discuss global Britain and its place in the world.

Ninder believes that it is many years before we can know if Brexit has been good or not. Both men come from an Asian heritage, but they share a passion and love of the place that they call home.

Saf and Ninder believe that Birmingham is a great city with much to offer the world and have no truck with the suggestion that it is the UK’s second city in name only.

They foresee a bright future providing that there is a continual willingness to learn and adapt, a refusal to sit back on laurels and the processes to make sure a talented and skilled workforce is available.