Floral Design 15000 Vocational Programs subject sub_topic Floral Designers create floral arrangements, advise wedding planners, and work in florist shops as plant care consultants, dried flower and artificial display designers, and floral advisers. There are a number of vocational schools offering classes in floral design. A floral design degree may give you the edge in getting a job in the field as many floral designers do not choose to earn a degree. Whichever route you choose to go, you will still be polishing your creative and artistic talents with on-job training. 0 0 0 15290 <p>Creativity, imagination and artistic ability are just some of the important attributes needed to become a floral designer. Some successful floral designers not only possess these creative qualities but also have an education in the floral field. A floral designer must have an eye for detail and background knowledge in the different types of flowers and floral arrangements. There are specific floral schools dedicated to educating floral designers and there are also some public and private universities that offer floral design as a major for Bachelor’s degrees.</p> <p>A floral designer needs to possess an aesthetic eye. He or she will have the job of choosing the type of flowers to arrange and the container to arrange them in. Floral designers have a natural eye for choosing beautiful color palettes. If working with real flowers, floral designers may be exposed to the outdoors and lifting heavy pots of flowers and materials. It is considered a physical job because floral designers are constantly using their hands to arrange flowers.</p> <b>Education Requirements</b> <p>A degree is not mandatory to become a floral designer. However, receiving formal floral design instruction is extremely helpful to know the different types and names of flowers. Career outlook for a floral designer may be improved with some form of post-secondary education such as attending a vocational school or obtaining an associate’s degree in floral design. Those who decide to pursue a bachelor’s degree in floral design may take more in-depth classes such as Botany, Hydrology and Soil Management. While a bachelor’s degree from a floral design school in uncommon for most professional florists, it may be helpful for those pursuing a career with a reputable company. An accreditation in floral design is also available from the American Institute of Floral Designers. The accreditation involves practical and written examinations from the Institute and only designers with experience in the field should take these exams. There are several online floral design classes available if you are seeking a more flexible route for your education.</p> <b>Earning Potential</b> <p>Job outlook for floral designers is expected to be good in the coming years. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, retail florists will be the most needed in the industry from the years 2006 to 2016. However, the employment of independent designers may decline by 9 percent in these same years. The average floral designer earned between $17,690 and $27,330 in 2006.</p> <b>Career Opportunities</b> <p>Floral designers can choose many different career paths. A floral designer with an entrepreneurial spirit may want to open his or her own floral shop. There are also many companies who look to hire floral designers to create floral arrangements for large venues. Those who are interested in working with artificial flowers have many opportunities for employment with companies that supply these arrangements for venue decoration or retail shops. Some floral designers also choose to work freelance and are hired by individuals for special events such as weddings. These designers usually work from home but must visit many different locations on a daily basis to pull together the different flowers and materials needed to complete the jobs. A floral designer not only needs the ability to create a beautiful arrangement but he or she must also have customer service skills. The designers need to understand a client’s wants and needs and have to be able to communicate with clients. If working for a company, a floral designer must also understand the company’s vision and act accordingly.</p> <b>Article References</b><br/><br/> U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics<br/> <a href="http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos292.htm#outlook"target="_blank">http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos292.htm#outlook</a><br/><br/> American Institute of Floral Designers<br/> <a href="http://www.aifd.org/"target="_blank">http://www.aifd.org/</a><br/><br/> floral-design Floral Design Floral Design 15340, 15230, 15320 Accredited Vocational Degree Training & Certification in Floral Design 1 0