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Florist Certificate – get a Certificate or become Certified?
There are many successful florists who are not formally certified in the floral trade, yet may or may not hold a florist certificate from a floral school or floral trade group, association or organization. The requirements to obtain a florist certificate vary according to the issuing organization and not all certificates carry the same weight. This post will help to clarify the differences among the certificates out there.
There are primarily two different categories of florist certificates. Those issued by various floral schools and those issued by floral trade associations, organizations or groups. Certificates obtained through floral schools do not carry as much weight as those from floral trade associations, organizations or groups. A student who completes a floral school’s curriculum does not have to prove practical application by working in a florist environment prior to receiving the certificate while those who obtain their certificate through a floral trade group, association or organization must prove their practical experience.
A florist certificate received by attending a floral school is similar to receiving a diploma – it means that the the floral student attended and completed the necessary classroom instruction requirements of the floral school curriculum. However, it does not mean that the student can actually apply the knowledge and skills learned. Given that floristry is primarily a tactile profession, application of the learning is much more important than receiving a piece of paper titled florist certificate.
A florist certificate and subsequent official certified designation (i.e., Certified Floral Professional) received through a floral trade group, association or organization carries much more weight than any certificate issued by a floral school. The requirements to receive a certified designation are much more stringent and typically a student must pass formal tests and design skill evaluations by a judging committee. Real life experience working in the florist field can lead to the certified designation, whereas attending a floral school alone will not.
To summarize the differences, here are the floral certificate and certified possibilities: A person could be a florist without a florist certificate or certification whatsoever; A person could hold a florist certificate by completing the necessary curriculum requirements of a floral school, but not be formally certified within the profession; Or, a person could hold a florist certificate and be formally certified within the profession.
As previously explained, no florist certificate or certification is required to become a professional florist however both will help enhance or improve your credibility within the industry.
