Presenting

46 September | 2021 started by Longwood Gardens and the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) that promotes horticulture and floriculture to inspire people to pursue careers within the industry— as its biggest step to better broadcast the rich career possibilities. "We know that the connection with peers can have a positive impact on job satisfaction, with peer- to-peer learning; gathering in person or virtually to discuss struggles/successes; and opportunities to hear from experts on timely issues such as changes in government regulations, supply-chain slowdowns, consumer behavior trends, etc., can be done through SAF's virtual events, webinars, live events, weekly newsletter, social media engagements and 'Live Chat' tool," Delaney states. "We share any and all knowledge we have to ensure leaders in the field are better equipped to talk to those considering careers in the floral industry about the joys and benefits, as well as the challenges, of working in the floral industry." Texas State Florists' Association Dianna Nordman, AAF, is the executive director for the Texas State Florists' Association (TSFA), which offers two levels of floral certification for high-school students, noting that horticulture is agriculture, and Texas is a big agriculture state with opportunities for employment. "In 2004, the TSFA saw generational floral businesses suffer, with second-generations doing well but discovering that third-generations did not want to proceed with their families' businesses," she explains, adding that the best way to generate freshness into the industry is to find and foster youth interest and involvement. Creating the Level 1 and Level 2 "High School Floral Design Certification" program, the TSFA has gone into high schools to provide student—and teacher—training. Generally, students in Level 1 will learn the principles and elements of design while Level 2 takes it up a notch to include an asymmetrical triangle crescent corsage and a rose vase arrangement. To become certified, students must complete the yearlong floral design curriculum, which is approved by the Texas Education Agency, pass a TSFA-approved written exam and create two floral designs within a timed setting. (Discover more at tsfa.org/highschoolfloral.) "e certification program is a win-win for both the students—as successful completion can be listed on graduation diplomas—and the school districts where it provides more value to a diploma," Nordman says. "We have 300 full-time floral and design teachers in Texas, and more than 1,000, in total. Of the 13,000 high-school students who have tested in 'Knowledge-based Floral Certification' (tsfa.org/knowledgebasedcertification), 3,900 were tested for 'Level 1' floral design certification. We are creating the future; creating values of floral with our students." As for what happens afterwards, Nordman was succinct: "We give our students a career path. We know we are prepping them to work in a flower shop, but it is up to the owners to hire and train the students effectively." Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association Director of Industry Certifications Merry Mott, of the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA), the largest state nursery and landscape association in the U.S., says that FNGLA also provides a path for student success. While the FNGLA represents Florida's environmental horticulture industry—primarily wholesale nurseries, landscape professionals and retail garden centers—the association has very few retail florists as members. However, with the FNGLA's career development programs and worker training, there is a fair bit of crossover relating to floriculture and the nursery segments. "More than 15 years ago, the National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America) began working with the FNGLA to encourage high-school students to learn more about the floriculture/horticulture industry in a competitive way," Mott reveals. "It can be a fun industry, and the hope was to spark interest in middle-school and high-school students through career development events." (Learn more at ffa.org/participate/cdes/floriculture.) A few years later, the FNGLA expanded its "Certified Professionals" certification program to high-school students. "We currently test about 500 students a year across 25 schools throughout the state," Mott shares. "And those high-school teachers have earned FNGLA certification themselves. Florida's 'Career Education Act' helps bring money back to the schools that participate in our certification program, which is integrated into the

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