Apprentice Florist

Summary

We are excited to offer you the opportunity to join our Floristry program with Morrisons. This program is designed to help you learn, grow, and develop your creativity. You will be earning while learning and getting your qualifications without any cost. All we require from you is a willingness to learn and a passion for floristry.

Wage

£21,881.60 a year

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Pay is £10.52p/h during 26 Weeks' probation period, after which this will rise to £10.92p/h.

Training course

Florist (level 2)

Hours

Monday - Sunday, 5 days out of 7 between 08:00 and 15:45 (or equivalent). Hours of work can vary depending on the needs of the business/agreement with store. Exact Rota TBC on starting the role.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

Duration

1 year 3 months

Positions available

6

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

For several years, Morrisons has been investing in our Floristry Apprenticeship Scheme, and we have established strong links with Derby College. We have also introduced Market Street Florists into many of our stores, and we are excited to offer opportunities for Florists to join us.

You will be based at a Morrisons store local to you (see possible locations), with regular travel to the East Midlands for one week’s block training (on site at Myton Derby and/or Derby College). When not on block release, you will also train with Derby College one day per week via virtual/distance learning.

As a Floristry Apprentice, you will work hands-on and side-by-side with our experienced colleagues, learning the art of creating beautiful floral arrangements for our valued customers. This is an excellent opportunity to gain practical skills and knowledge in Floristry and customer service while working with a supportive team.

Your training will include:

There are six phases of the course that are conducted over a period of 12 months. Each phase will have an endpoint assessment, and will cover the following topics:

Safe working practices, legal and organisational requirements, use of tools, equipment and materials, workplace cleaning, and health and safety
Storage, conditioning, and preparation of materials, stock rotation, and seasonal availability
Hand-tied bouquets, gift wrapping, funeral work, wedding work, event/corporate work
Floral designs, composition and elements of design, wiring and manipulation techniques, and design classification
Understanding customer needs and budget requirements, company policies for payments, pricing, customer service, complaints, returns, and Consumer Law
Sales opportunities within retail, marketing, promotions, and social media
Organisation and time management, commercial timescales, minimising waste, flexibility, working to deadlines, teamwork, respect, and PPE
The course also includes basic health and safety and First Aid training

Where you'll work

This apprenticeship is available in these locations:

The Broadway, Bridgewater, TA6 3LN
Pendle Street, Nelson, BB9 7UZ
Knight Road, Rochester, ME2 2BD
1 Station Street, Ross on Wye, HR9 7AG
Needingworth Road, St Ives, PE27 4AA
Collingwood Centre, Preston North Road, Tynemouth North Shields, NE29 9QR

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

DCG

Your training course

Florist (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

S1 Demonstrate the different unpacking techniques for boxed, bunched and poisonous/irritant plant or flower material.
S2 Select and prepare appropriate containers for materials being conditioned to ensure correct hygiene procedures are followed.
S3 Select tools, protective clothing and equipment appropriate to the fresh materials that are being conditioned.
S4 Condition fresh plant materials in order of their botanical requirements. Understand the difference between the terms genus, species, variety and cultivar.
S5 Maintain botanical materials using accurate stock rotation to ensure that the product is sold/used in the best condition.
S6 Demonstrate the care and maintenance of the different plant groups covering foliage, flowering, berried, succulents, cacti, bulbs/corms, orchids and planted designs and how environmental conditions including temperature, humidity, light, water and nutrients affect them.
S7 Describe the common indicators of pests and disease and the action that should be taken if they are discovered. Ensure that waste is disposed of sustainably and work safely. Handle and transport plants and resources safely and efficiently covering: growing medium; containers; Tools and equipment; supports; watering devices; chemicals; delicate and robust plants; plants that can be safely lifted by one person or need more than one person.
S8 Understand the principles of safe lifting and handling in regard to plant transportation.
S9 Be able to organise yourself, prioritise your own workload/activity and work to meet deadlines.
S10 Estimate the amount of time it will take to complete a floral or planted design within commercial timescales and in a way that minimises waste.
S11 Work under time pressures.
S12 Interpret a customer™s requirements and manage customer™s expectations positively within the specification (budget, content, occasion, design style, client™s requirements).
S13 Follow company practice for costing designs and understand the need to minimise waste.
S14 Record and store a customer™s information in a safe location in accordance with organisational and legislative requirements.
S15 Demonstrate a good standard of literacy and numeracy.
S16 Demonstrate good communication skills and body language.
S17 Demonstrate basic promotional and marketing skills and awareness of social media protocol relating to the business.
S18 Adhere to deadlines when necessary.
S19 Demonstrate an awareness of targets and goals which you may be needed to deliver against.
S20 Display and maintain goods to their best advantage so that they remain attractive, appealing and safe to customers.
S21 Demonstrate good IT skills “ be able to take orders off the website and/or use the computer for order processing.
S22 Demonstrate the following using the Principles & Elements of design: Tied designs; Wired designs; Glued designs; Designs in a medium.
Prepare designs for sale and secure transportation.
S23 Demonstrate the following techniques: Attaching techniques – Binding, tying and knotting, glueing, pinning, stapling. Wiring techniques – Support wiring, external wiring, semi-internal wiring, internal wiring, stitching, single-leg mount, double leg mount, hook wiring, units, feathering, pipping, sepal pinning. Manipulation techniques – Basing, backing, bow making, grouping, caging, edging, layering, plaiting, pleating/folding, rolling/cupping, spiralling, taping, threading, veiling, weaving, wrapping. Water retaining techniques – Floating, floral foam, moss, tape, tubes/phials, wax and water gels/pearls.
Sources of inspiration: Culture, Botany, Emotion, Technique/Method, Economy.
Design Schema: Order category: Symmetry / Asymmetry Design classification: Decorative / Form linear / Vegetative Line direction: Radial / Parallel / Free arrangement of lines
S24 Maintain an effective, safe and clean working environment with particular regard to the public and colleagues.
S25 Maintain and handle tools, products and materials safely and in a manner than minimises waste, damage and contamination.
Dispose of hazardous and non-hazardous materials.
Identify health and safety risks for yourself, the public or colleagues.
Undertake regular checks and maintenance of equipment which must be carried out according to manufacturer™s recommendations, safe use of machinery and equipment
Demonstrate: The awareness of risk assessments and understand their importance. Safe methods for moving and lifting items. How to find COSHH information. Why and when protective clothing and equipment should be used. The need for an accident book and know where it is kept and how it should be completed. How to report RIDDOR.

Your training plan

Level 2 Floristry Apprenticeship Standard:

This apprenticeship will be completed by working 5 days per week in store with the employer, learning the job role and gaining valuable work experience, and then a block release of 1 week every 4 weeks, attending Derby College to complete coursework/assessments and Myton Derby for specific industry training
This course will be delivered over a period of 12-months as well as an approximately 3-month end point assessment period equating to around 15-months

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English (grade C/4 or above)
Mathematics (grade C/4 or above)

Other in:

Full (grade Pass)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Attention to detail
Customer care skills
Can-do attitude
Willing to learn
Able to drive with own car

Other requirements

• You will be based at a Morrisons store close to your home. • In order to be considered for our Floristry apprenticeship you must be aged 18 or over as you may be required to work independently and unsociable hours (weekends). • You must have achieved (or predicted) a Grade C/4 in Maths and English or equivalent. • You must be a driver with your own car.

About this company

We started as a small market stall in Bradford and have now become the UK's fourth-largest supermarket chain and second-largest fresh food manufacturer. We are proud to serve customers across the UK with just under 500 stores and an online home delivery service. Our 18 manufacturing sites provide the freshest produce, including flowers, fish, vegetables, burgers, and bread, all delivered to our stores via six distribution sites by our 2,000 strong fleet. Our pack house, located in Derby, uses around 4 million flower stems to create 400,000 bouquets of flowers every week. Flowerworld is our dedicated flower facility, where 460 colleagues work in a single-shift operation to provide fresh flowers, roses, and bouquets. During busy seasonal events like Valentine's Day and Christmas, teamwork is crucial. In the run-up to Mother's Day, our production more than triples to 1.3 million bouquets a week!

After this apprenticeship

By the end of your apprenticeship, you will:

Earn a Diploma in Floristry, LANTRA Accredited
Have the potential for permanent employment within Morrisons’ Horticulture department

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

DCG

Niall Nanson

niall.nanson@derby-college.ac.uk

01332 387420

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000332013.

Apply now

Closes in 15 days (Friday 1 August 2025)

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