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Michael Osbaldeston

Michael Osbaldeston

Special Advisor

“My-cull Os-bawl-des-tun” | he/him

Michael is the Special Adviser and Skills Ambassador for City & Guilds. He is especially involved with work with our President HRH The Princess Royal and was instrumental in creating the Princess Royal Training Awards.

A major part of his role is bringing people and organisations together so that they can work more effectively and develop long term and sustainable partnerships.

He is a trustee of the City & Guilds of London Art School and music and mental health charity, Song in the City.  He is also the member-nominated trustee of the City & Guilds Pension Fund, sits on the Livery Companies Skills Council and advises a number of heritage and skills organisations.

When he’s not at work, he enjoys going to concerts and tending his garden including his banana trees!

individualization | strategic | learner | context | activator

The latest stories from Michael Osbaldeston on the City & Guilds Foundation website:

Bookings now open for City and Guilds of London Art School Spring and Summer Short Courses 2024!

Bookings now open for City and Guilds of London Art School Spring and Summer Short Courses 2024!

by | 20 Dec 2023 | ,

The City and Guilds of London Art School are delighted to announce the launch of their Spring/Summer 2024 Short Courses. A perfect last-minute gift for yourself or someone you love! Next term, they will be extending their pilot programme of Evening Courses with Spring classes running on Wednesday evenings from 24 January - 20 March. New courses have been added, such as 'An Introduction to Woodcarving' and 'Art & Feminism - 1965 - Present'. The Summer School will run over the first three...

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Invitation to take part: Improving Diversity in Craft Businesses with Cockpit

Invitation to take part: Improving Diversity in Craft Businesses with Cockpit

by | 20 Sep 2022 | , , ,

Calling all craft businesses. The craft world has a diversity problem – let’s change that. Craft businesses are invited to get involved in a new project to help improve diversity in the craft workforce. Our vision is a future industry where anyone, from any background, can get in and get on. Help us make it happen. Between October 2022 and July 2023, we will work with five businesses to explore and develop new approaches to improving workforce diversity. The opportunity is open to companies...

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Yearly Meeting 2022: recognising advocates of skills through Fellowship presentations

Yearly Meeting 2022: recognising advocates of skills through Fellowship presentations

by | 13 May 2022 | , ,

For two years we Zoomed and at last this year we could once again hold the City and Guilds of London Institute’s Yearly Meeting face to face. Old friends and colleagues, key stakeholders, staff, members and Fellows mingled at Barber Surgeons’ Hall in the heart of the City eager to exchange views and share news. The Yearly Meeting is enshrined in the royal charter and is part of the governance of the Institute.  It can be a little dull but not on this occasion.  It was a treat to hear...

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Royal visits round-up and new partnerships announced

Royal visits round-up and new partnerships announced

by | 4 Nov 2021 | , , , , ,

Two Princess Royal Training Awards recipients receive a royal visit! Over the past few months, HRH The Princess Royal has continued to actively support the work of City & Guilds and paid official visits to Princess Royal Training Awards recipients.  The Awards recognise employers who can evidence the impact staff development has on their organisation and people. Veolia The Princess Royal visited Veolia’s Southwark Integrated Waste Management Facility where she undertook a tour of the...

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City & Guilds – continuing to forge the skills for today, and tomorrow

City & Guilds – continuing to forge the skills for today, and tomorrow

by | 3 Sep 2021 | , , ,

Everything we do at City & Guilds is driven by our purpose.  Today we talk about enabling people to develop the skills which will get them into a job, help them develop on the job and be able to progress to the next job.  We also talk about skills being essential for economic well-being for individuals, organisations and economies, but where did all that come from?  You have to go back to the Victorian era in the 1850s: a time of great change with the introduction of new...

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City & Guilds statement on the announcement of the death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

City & Guilds statement on the announcement of the death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

by | 9 Apr 2021 |

It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke was appointed President of the City and Guilds of London Institute in 1952 and supported the work of the Institute for over 60 years. During that time he evidenced his own commitment and passion for technical training by introducing skills competitions for apprentices and inaugurating the Prince Philip Medal. This recognised individuals who had achieved significant success and impact in their careers...

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Interview with… Damien McKnight

Interview with… Damien McKnight

by | 30 Sep 2020 | , , , ,

‘Michael!  We haven’t had our letter, were we successful?’  Deep intake of breath… this is the call you don’t want to take. â€˜We didn’t did we? And I know why - too soon and not enough evidence!’    And from that very perceptive response by Damien McKnight, Training Apprenticeship & Development Manager at Dovecote Park evolved two future very successful applications in 2018 and 2020 for recognition through the Princess Royal...

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United by purpose – a letter to Princess Royal Training Awards applicants from Princess Anne

United by purpose – a letter to Princess Royal Training Awards applicants from Princess Anne

by | 22 May 2020 | , ,

It’s fair to say, that no one alive has ever experienced a time like this.  You have to go back to the post-WW1 flu, the cholera epidemics that would lead to modern sanitation, The Black Death and the great plagues.  For all of us, it really is unprecedented, and it has led to us adopting working practices that would have been impossible not that long ago. In fact, before the advent of modern technology and the digital age, this would have been truly catastrophic.  We simply wouldn’t have been...

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