"If this describes you, then you will enjoy a career in retail floristry", says coordinator Lyn Whyte.

The one-year intensive program develops your entrepreneurial business skills, your product knowledge on the care and handling of flowers and foliages, and your creative design talents in hands-on labs.

"Part of the excitement of a career in retail floristry is the flexibility and the diversity of the tasks you perform - every day is different", says Lyn.

The Retail Florist program has an excellent facility for students to learn and work in. The facility includes a spacious floriculture design lab, a staged demonstration area. The program provides all the right tools to do the job and a tropical greenhouse display.

"One of the things that makes us unique is that our students enjoy sharing their creative talents with Algonquin staff and other students - designing for special occasions and holidays, awards banquets, and graduations. This makes for a real-life learning experience", says Lyn.

Remaining up-to-date with new trends is critical in the floral industry. Lyn notes that, "we're constantly upgrading the program so that students are trained in what is currently happening in the industry, and as a result I get calls all the time from florists looking to hire our graduates".

The program has a great reputation in the industry based on its faculty, curriculum, facilities and most of all, the quality of its students. These students compete in floral design competitions yearly at the Ontario Flower Growers Design Competition and consistently win awards.