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Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 45 middle-wage workers fell by only 5.4 per cent. Perhaps unsurprisingly, high-wage worker engagement remained at the same level. As PRC's statistics show, the floriculture and horticulture industries are not alone in having issues finding and retaining competent qualified workers, especially for lower-wage jobs with few or no benefits and unpredictable or haphazard work schedules. Some cite laziness, lack of a strong work ethic and a feeling of entitlement to high starting wages among younger workers as causes, and many add that enhanced unemployment benefits and government stimulus checks have compounded the overall labor-shortage problem. Florists' Review asked industry experts around the country—including many in the education field—for their take on how to attract young workers to our industry and increase the rates of retention and satisfaction among these people. While you may not like the findings—low pay being primary among them—there are things we can do to fix this and other problems that are endemic to our industry ; it's just going to require creatively rethinking many aspects of how we have traditionally done business. CREATING INTEREST IN FLORAL CAREER PATHS When it comes to the subject of floriculture and horticulture worker rawness or lack of ambition, educators in the industry say that's not on them. Cole Etheredge, Ph.D., assistant professor of Floriculture and Ornamental Horticulture at Mississippi State University says, "I have heard anecdotal comments from florists who say they are having a hard time finding employees because people are currently able to make more money on unemployment than they can make working at a flower shop." Regarding workers coming out of university with floriculture and horticulture degrees, Etheredge notes, "ese workers tend to quit flower shops once they graduate, finding jobs with higher pay in related fields. At Mississippi State University, our goal is to create leaders within the floral industry. Our floral management curriculum is meant to educate aspiring florists in the art of floral design as well as business and management. Students are given real-world experience through internships; this allows them to better understand the work required within the industry before choosing to commit to it. Additionally, floral management students take a broad course load dealing with various subjects within the horticulture industry, making them hirable within other fields of horticulture outside of floral management. "e students leaving the floral management program are often seeking to open their own flower shops or become head designers for event venues while some find their passion in related fields such as interior plant design," Etheredge continues. "It's my opinion that low wages are the biggest problem with keeping young, well-educated florists employed at flower shops. While students coming out of the floral management program might go to work in flower shops for a while, this is usually a stepping-stone to them moving on to doing something else within the industry." Society of American Florists is summer, the Society of American Florists (SAF) launched its "Career Connection" learning hub (careerconnection.safnow.org ), with five high-quality courses developed by the industry's top trainers, teachers and floral pros. According to SAF Director of Career Development Kate Delaney, AAF, the courses dive into the fundamental subjects that will have a bottom-line impact on shop operations, including setting up new hires for success, reducing shrink, getting new hires on the design bench quicker and cross-training current employees. Delaney notes that the SAF is dedicated to communicating the benefits and values of working in the industry and making a career in it. "e industry is multifaceted; it's an industry with needs that include agriculture, logistics, design, marketing, sales and so much more," she explains. "Students in business, accounting, fine arts, biology and horticulture can all find their places within the floral industry, and it is up to us to promote. e more the SAF can communicate the many areas in which a person can work and establish a career, the more appealing our industry becomes to those in the workforce." She also points out SAF's recent partnership with Seed Your Future (seedyourfuture.org )—the national movement

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