You can spot signs of their work at weddings, in cafes, and at businesses throughout Perth's central business district. Florists help their customers to create atmosphere, to express emotion and to celebrate important occasions with flowers.

There are around 555 florists in Western Australia. Most (81%) work in the Perth metropolitan area with the remainder situated predominantly in larger regional areas.

Although a resounding 95% of the workforce is female, there is nothing to stop creative males with a love of flowers from considering this occupation.

Each year, the number of commencements in the Certificate II (traineeship) in Floristry varies. In 2004, 25 people commenced this traineeship.

Say It With Flowers

If you are looking for a career that provides an outlet for your creative flair, then floristry may be for you. Florists design and create bouquets and floral arrangements for people wanting to celebrate events such as the birth of a child or a birthday, or to honour people on occasions such as a funeral. Many of their customers simply want to enliven their offices or homes.

Florists' daily duties include preparing (conditioning) flowers so that they will last, creating bouquets and arrangements of flowers and fruit, and setting up shop displays, as well as taking customer orders. Most people order via the telephone, but as online buying becomes increasingly popular, florists will need basic computer skills to handle customer orders online.

Customers sometimes seek a florist's help with writing an appropriate message on a greeting card that accompanies the flowers. Florists also arrange delivery of flowers, and it's their job to ensure that the flowers arrive on time, at the right place and looking as beautiful as when they left the shop.

Early morning visits to the wholesale markets where flowers are purchased is often a responsibility of senior florists.

''It's critical to choose your own flowers, if you want to maintain a reputation for supplying fresh, beautiful flowers. But, it's not much fun in winter when you have to dip your hands into buckets of icy water,'' says a Nedlands florist.

Florists who cater for functions such as weddings usually need to attend the church or reception centre beforehand to decide how the flowers should be arranged. When creating large arrangements for special occasions, florists may prefer to work on site.

A natural and artistic flair for the design, arrangement and wrapping of flowers is important in this occupation. Aside from artistic ability, florists also need good colour coordination and knowledge of a wide variety of flower and foliage species. While they predominantly work with fresh flowers, they also need to be comfortable working with dried or artificial fruits and flowers.


An Ear To Hear

To satisfy their customers, florists need good listening and communication skills. They need to be able to 'translate' their customers' wishes into a floral artform. And being able to manage your use of time is important if you are going to meet deadlines for delivery.

''Emotions play a large part when customers buy flowers, which is why it's important for florists to understand and consider carefully a customer's request,'' says Carole Kirth, a self-employed florist in Fremantle.

Most florists work in a retail shop which is well lit and ventillated and equipped with a fridge or coolroom. Some shops have behind-the-scenes workrooms where florists can be found busy at work. Keeping their work environment clean and well stocked is a demanding part of the job. Contrary to popular belief, working with flowers can be dirty and very messy.

Floristry is also hard on the hands, and physically demanding because you are standing most of the time and you are required to lift heavy flower-filled containers.

Work days for florists are generally 9-5, however, at special times of the year such as Mothers Day, Valentines Day, Easter and Christmas, it is not unusual for florists to work through the night.

It's also a huge advantage for florists to be first at the early morning markets to pick the best of the bunches, so you may have to put in some early mornings.



Not Such Blooming Job Prospects

There are a number of avenues into floristry. You could start out by assisting around a florist shop, performing such tasks as preparing flowers and taking customers' orders. This will allow you to learn some basic floristry skills and techniques, and to 'test' whether you have the initiative and artistic ability that's needed in this occupation.

There is always the prospect of opening your own flower shop. To be successful in this area you will need extensive experience, good business skills (identifying new business opportunities and target markets that will help you get ahead), and the ability to market yourself.

The start-up rate of new businesses, together with the movement of supermarkets and deli's into flower selling, has made competition in this occupation intense. It has affected the profitability of many flower shops and, as indicated by employment forecasters, adversely affected employment prospects. Many small businesses, including florists, can struggle making ends meet.

Employment opportunities can be further dampened by the fact that many small floristry businesses are owner-operated and additional full-time or other type of staff rarely employed.

Salaries vary with experience and expertise. Someone new or training in the field can earn up to $25,000 per year, while someone who is experienced can earn over $35,000. Those who own their own business or assist with buying may earn closer to $50,000. Most florists are employed on a part-time or casual basis.

There are no formal educational requirements for entry into this occupation, however, most retailers do prefer applicants to have completed Year 10. Entry level courses and traineeships are available through TAFE and some private providers. To become a fully qualified florist, you need to complete a Certificate III in Floristry.

The off-the-job training for the Floristry traineeship is available through Challenger TAFE and other private registered training organisations. Please check out the TAFE and NTIS sites below for further information or contact the Australian Apprenticeships Hotline on 13 38 73 (local call cost).

	Other Training Providers
	National Training Information Service website.
	TAFE Colleges
	Homepage links and contact details for all TAFE Colleges in WA.
	TAFE Handbook
	An online guide to full-time TAFE courses available throughout WA.

Professional Florists Association
Shop 4-16 Williams Street Fremantle WA 6160 Phone: (08) 9335 7164

Wholesale, Retail and Personal Services ITC (WRAPS)
Suite 19 Plaistowe Mews City West Centre West Perth WA 6005 Phone: (08) 9481 5766 Fax: (08) 9481 5677 Email: norma@wrapswa.com.au URL: http://www.wrapswa.com.au

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Being surrounded by vibrant colours and rich scents must surely inspire creativity. Just ask self-employed florist, Libby Devine.

''I've always loved flowers and I am surrounded by so many beautiful varieties at work. At the moment, I have orchids in lots of bright colours and they're proving to be very popular with customers. I suppose I do have a flair when it comes to doing displays but my grandmother and aunty were both great with flowers so maybe it's in the gene pool,'' says Libby jovially.

As a young girl, Libby often helped out in her aunty's florist shop. But it wasn't until Libby trained and worked in the hospitality industry that she turned her earlier interest into a way of earning a living.

As fate would have it, while working in hospitality, Libby was often asked to do floral displays for functions. Opting for a change of scenery, she then began working in the flower section of a Perth deli. Responsible for visiting local markets to buy flowers for the deli, Libby also continued doing contract floristry work for cafes and restaurants. It was only a matter of time before Libby opened her own florist shop, which she did some years ago.

''I still do displays for places like 44 King Street and Steve's (Hotel) but I'm steering away from doing weddings and corporate displays, otherwise the job consumes seven days of my week. I seem to be getting a lot more telephone orders for flowers, which I guess is partly a reflection of the public having confidence in what you do.''

Libby prefers a minimalist and a very natural style. Watching her assemble and make 12 long-stemmed white roses look even more breathtaking is magical.

Libby says florists need some key skills and personal qualities.

''Florists need four things: a love of flowers, an eye for colour, an eye for style and a vibrant personality. Being a florist is competitive, so you should be passionate about it.''

Libby recommends working with other professionals to learn the necessary skills and to develop one's own sense of style. And while it's important to learn as much as possible while undertaking any formal training, she says it's just as important to let your own creative flair shine through.

So where does Libby see herself five years from now?

''I'd still like to have the business and for it to be successful. It's also important to me to continue to make people happy.''