Just to explain why I started this thread: The last few years I have found it very difficult to find good, qualified staff. Used to be the other way around and we could take our pick, or just find staff by word of mouth. Now I run an ad in the paper for a month and don't get anyone that I would call a florist
A lot of training that is available is doing absolutely nothing to help this skill shortage. A couple of years ago I took someone on for work experience because she said she was doing a course. I later found out it was a correspondence course
I gave her as chance though becasue she was keen and she's coming along nicely. However, I no longer want to train people, after lossing a few staff over the years who left after I'd turned them into brilliant florists. Perhaps if the wannabes actually get a decent start by doing courses where they learn real floristry we might have a better chance of keeping this industry going, despite all the competition (supermarkets, flowers-by-post etc) and other pitfalls.