florist

The work

Florists design and make up flower arrangements, bouquets and wreaths. They may also sell cut flowers, pot plants, dried and artificial flowers, gifts and decorations.

Their work involves:

• displaying and selling flowers and plants
• helping customers to choose suitable flowers and plants
• making up bouquets and arrangements from their own ideas, from books of designs or to customers requirements
• preparing and wiring flowers for formal displays
• advising customers on looking after the flowers or plants they have bought
• setting up displays, for example at conferences or exhibitions
• delivering orders to customers.

 Florists who run their own business also need to budget and keep accounts.

Hours and Environment

As a florist you will work shop hours, including Saturdays and possibly Sundays. You may need to start work very early in the mornings to buy stock and work extra hours to make sure orders are completed on time.

You could work in a shop or on an outside stall. You will spend most of your  time on your feet, either dealing with customers or working at a bench in the workroom where flower arrangements are made up. 

You  may need to travel to wholesalers, nurseries, or to make deliveries to customers, so driving licence is useful.

Skills and Interests

To be a florist you should be:

• creative and artistic 
• able to understand the properties and needs of the different plants and flowers
• good at explaining your ideas to customers
• good at working with your hands
• able to work as part of a team and get on well with other staff
• helpful, pleasant and tactful with customers
• able to handle money and work out costs
• able to work under pressure - especially at busy times such as Christmas and St Valentine’s Day.

Entry

The most common way to become a florist is to find work and train on the job, often working towards NVQs/SVQs in Floristry at levels 2 and 3.

To find a job you will need to be able to show that you are interested in floristry and are likely to be good at it. Some ways of doing this are:

• attending courses in flower arranging or basic floristry at a college or adult education centre
• joining a local flower arranging club
• looking for opportunities to help out at a florist's on a voluntary basis.

See the National Association of Flower Arrangement Clubs website for details of local clubs - there is a link to the website in Further Information below.

You may be able to get into this job through an apprenticeship scheme. Funding for apprenticeships is available for 16-24 year olds and some over-25s. To find out more, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk. For information about apprenticeships in other parts of the UK, see Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Instead of on-the-job training you could attend a full-time or part-time course before looking for work. You can do courses at various levels, depending on the qualifications or experience you already have – you should check with colleges for their entry requirements. 

Courses include:

• NPTC Level 1 Certificate in Land-based Studies (Floristry option)
• City & Guilds Level 1 and 2 Certificates in Design and Craft (Flower arranging option)
• NPTC Level 2 National Certificate in Floristry (Professional Floristry) 
• BTEC Level 2 First Diploma in Floristry 
• NPTC Level 3 Advanced National Certificate in Floristry (Professional Floristry) 
• BTEC Level 3 National Award in Floristry (Design) or Floristry (Business) 
• BTEC Level 3 National Certificate/Diploma in Floristry.

Visit the Flowers and Plants Association website for details of some of the colleges offering courses - see Further Information below for a link.

Training

If you go straight into a job in floristry, you will be trained on the job by an experienced florist.  You could also attend college on a day release or part-time basis to work towards NVQ/SVQ levels 2 and 3 in Floristry.

You can also develop your skills by doing short courses which are run by some colleges and flower relay services.

When you are experienced as a florist you might be able to gain the following qualifications:

• the Intermediate Certificate of the Society of Floristry (ICSF)
• the National Diploma of the Society of Floristry (NDSF) - the highest floristry award in the UK. 

You can do courses to prepare for the ICSF and the NDSF at some colleges. Visit the Society of Floristry website for details - see Further Information below.

A few colleges and universities offer relevant foundation degrees and degrees.

For information about foundation degrees see Foundation Degree Forward

To search for colleges and universities offering HNDs, foundation degrees and degrees see Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)

Opportunities

As a trained and experienced florist you could start your own business.

You could also do further training and move into areas such as freelance floral decoration, floral design, exhibition work, demonstration and teaching.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only. There are no set pay scales for florists - rates can vary enormously, depending on the size of the shop and where it is situated.

Earnings for some new entrants could be in line with the National Minimum Wage.
Experienced florists may earn from around £16,000 a year. 

Further information

Tel: 0870 241 0432 Lantra House
Stoneleigh Park
Nr Coventry
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG
Tel: 0845 707 8007

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