the Price of Career Training

I took a two week class to get a nationally recognized certificate in floral design.

The tuition included classes and design guides on CD. The classes were at a floral warehouse and design business. We went 9 to 5, 5 days a week for two weeks. We had one field trip where we went on a tour of business locations in the area that used the floral designs of this school and we spent a few hours touring the warehouse to understand the wholesale part of the florist business. The 2300.00 dollars was just for the tuition I paid for the classes. I also paid for my flight to the city the school is in, a rental car, a hotel room for my two week stay, plus meals and miscellaneous expenses. My total for tuition and expenses was just under 5 thousand dollars.

The service was excellent. The instructors for this class were wonderful. They were so knowledgeable about the business, from ordering to designs for any occasion to how to run a floral shop, I felt like they really know the business. The class was small, 10 people, so we got a lot of attention. The materials provided - the design guide CD and the materials like flowers and design elements we used in class were of the highest quality. This was a lot of observation, then implementation with hands on exercises in floral design. The class room was comfortable and supplies were plentiful. We didn't waste time, we got right to work when class started. I felt like I got my monies worth every day.

Be sure to ask if they are accredited with the national floral design organization, as that is important when you go to get a job with your new certificate. Ask for references. Ask about any special arrangements for students, such as discounts at hotels or on rental cars (I got both). Find out if there are any fees for materials or any other hidden costs. Ask how large the classes will be, with so much hands on, a small class size is nice. See if you can time it to go with your vacation time, that is what I did and it worked out great.