Certificate in Commercial Floristry

Florist Anna Pivac says the job requires creativity and a flexible approach. Picture / Graeme Sedal

THE QUALIFICATION

What: Certificate in Commercial Floristry Level 3
Where: Unitec, Mt Albert Campus
Phone: 09 815 2945 or 0800 10 95 10
Email: Courses at Unitec
Web: Unitec
Costs 2006: $4545 including all materials and equipment
Starting rate: $12 to $15 an hour


THE COURSE

Giving and receiving flowers is one of life's special pleasures; hence the importance of floristry. The craft of floristry can be learned through Unitec's one year full time floristry course.

The course has a practical focus, including work experience in florist shops that can lead to part time and later, full time work. The course is structured so students have Monday free in the first semester and Friday in the second; both busy days in florist shops.

As well as designing and creating arrangements, training includes flower anatomy and morphology (flower parts, leaf shape, root types, etc), physiology, plant identification and classification, handling and storage and pest and disease identification.

Customer service is also covered, along with marketing, advertising and time management.

Students have 20 hours in class each week. They're then expected to spend at least 10 hours practicing using the class materials.

Applications should be in by December 1, but the course remains open until the 35 places are taken. The course begins in February.

Applicants need a minimum of three years' secondary school education or two years' secondary school education and relevant work experience. School leavers need at least a minimum of eight NCEA English level one credits, or an overall IELTS of 5.5 or the equivalent.

Students range in age from teenagers to people in their fifties. All are interviewed to ensure realistic expectations of the role, a sense of commitment, willingness to learn and good communication skills. The course isn't for hobbyists. Employment of graduates is high and employer's vacancies are regularly advertised in the classroom. Graduates go into florist shops, wholesale flower ventures and flower export businesses.

THE STUDENT

Anna Pivac
Enchanted Rose florist
Graduated in November 2005

Being a florist is more than playing with flowers. You have to be creative and flexible. There is a lot of customer service; dealing with people on the phone and in the shop, meeting different needs and expectations.

I was looking for something that continued to allow me to express my creativity - I had done two years of a visual arts degree previously - and challenged me and provided variety. Floristry has given me all that.

The course prepared me really well. It is thorough and everything we learned applied to the industry. There was a lot of practice required at home. We'd learn to do something at Unitec, then take it home, pull it apart and redo it and redo it until it became second nature.

The art and design modules in the course were taught by lecturers in art and design, not florists. They really encouraged us to develop our flair and creativity and push boundaries.

One of my favourite subjects was practical floristry, where you learn all the skills you need to do the job. The other was the retail course for which we had to design a florist shop, from layout to contracts and marketing.

One day I want to have my own shop so it is important that I have a wide knowledge base of skills and techniques.

THE EMPLOYER

Josie Crooks
Co owner with Leon Reynolds
Enchanted Rose

Although florists need to be creative, people skills and personal skills are equally important.

There are a lot of time constraints and pressure in a florist shop, such as having a courier arrive the same time as three people walking in wanting something immediately.

Floristry is a craft that has to be learned slowly and carefully. The course provides good grounding in the basic techniques and mechanics of floristry as well as an understanding of design principles.

Quality and detail are also important and those things are emphasised through the course. Students are also exposed to each other's styles and interpretations which is beneficial to their own creativity.

The work experience component shows students what happens in a store from opening to closing and it gives us the opportunity to work with them.