Florist News

Can those who have been to college/are at college explain the benefits of going to college to study floristry.

Many complain about the amount of theory /paperwork you have to complete and you do not appear to get a lot of 'hands on' practise.

I was an apprentice for 3 years in a shop and learnt everything needed to run the business. College was not an option to most trainees.

Do you get a qualification that will ensure you more money or better prospects when you leave.

Does anyone know the ratio of college students to shop trainees?

Sorry if my questions are intrusive, I'm just curious.

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['I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it'. Voltaire

I'm just about to go into my final term of City and Guilds 2 - I only go 1-day a week and that's a Saturday. I am planning a career change, but financially wasn't ready when I started the course to change job and get a job in a florist; so thought doing a recognised course would be a good option.

I'm enjoying the course, but unsure whether to go onto level 3 - I'm leaning towards getting a Saturday job before jumping into it full time rather than further study

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i quit my full time (60+ hours per week) job as a manager for M+B (Toby brand) went to college full time and did the lv 2 BTEC National Dip in Floristry - the tutor reckons when we passed that we were ready to be a junior florist in a shop so came back to college and now doing LV3 BTEC National Award Dip and the tutor reckons we are qualified enough to run our own shop or be a manager of a shop (on paper) - when i finish in june i would like to get at least a year in a florist shop for more hands on the job experience before i think i would like to look at opening my own shop or even dream of applying for a managers job - i worked my way up in M+B so i knew what i was talking about from all levels, then no one can say i don't know what it is like. - my personal preference.

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The thing many people don't realise about being a florist is the range of skills you need, which come only from experience over time. Of course natural creativity is the best starting point. Then you must be adept at customer service skills, working efficiently to deadlines, managing staff, money in and out, marketing, shameless self-promotion, superior negotiation skills to your Dutchman and a memory like an elephant help. And that's all before you count on your technical expertise and ever-expanding encyclopedic knowledge of flowers.

And as payment for your skills - the lowest skilled wage in the UK, cold ruined hands, no time off at peaks and people constantly saying 'It must be lovely to work in a flowershop'

Well, yes. It is actually, or we wouldn't do it at all.

I can only add one thing to that PC which was really well said, and that is as well as a memory like an elephant you need another animals help; a hide like a rino to glance off all the blows directed our way from the public, the supermarkets, the internet and even from other florists. And yes it is still the best job in the whole world.
OH and sorry Kar I don't know the proportions of shop trainees to college students.

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In my case going to college was a way of seeing if I was any good without wrecking someone else's business or my reputation!

Being an Essex girl you already have a reputation.....same as me!

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['I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it'. Voltaire

I'd say College is a good start if you can do it. It teaches you some things you may take years to come across in a shop, or maybe never come across at all. By going at least you will know, and also you will have your qualifications to proudly show off. Quite a few employers insist upon it, but all that said, you do gain alot more from shop based experience/training. Things happen there that college cannot ever begin to teach you.

It will ultimately give you a much much better understanding. I think its best to combine the both, it worked for me.
However many people i went to college with didn't have a day's placement, and its something our college sadly wasn't too good at enforcing, now they're walking around with floristry qualifications without a real grasp on what being a florist is actually like. Which is a huge shame.

that is a shame kp. I came to germany to do an apprenticeship exactly for that reason. I didn't want to 'just' sit in a classroom, I wanted the best of both worlds! We had classes (theory) 2 days a week the first year, 1nce a week the next 2 yrs and the rest of the time we were in the shop. I felt that without any shop experience I may as well not even bother!! I really put in a 1000% when I was in the shop and learned alot, at the same time we learned very valuble theory at school that you just don't have time for in the shop!

An aprenticeship like this combining school and work was not possible in Canada...is there something like that in the UK?

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~success is a lousy teacher...it seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose~

I did a City and Guilds level 2 one day a week over 2 years.
Personally, I feel that I learned so much more when I was in full time employment as a Florist. College is good for teaching you some of the basics, but they dont teach you enough about the everyday things you have to do as a florist.
For example, we never ever learned how to simply wrap cut flowers!! This is one thing that work experience girls at my shop seriously struggle with and its the one thing that I feel they should be able to do easily.
One moment that really sticks out for me was when in my first job after college I was asked to quickly make an 'FFC'. I had no idea what this was until my boss said it was like a tied sheaf. I started to make it how I'd learned at college and realised that this just does not work in the real world- the customer doesn't want to wait forever. College doesn't teach you speed, of course that comes with practise, but I don't feel they prepare students enough for the real floristry trade.
Thats just my opinion!!