Seed Your Future’s upcoming Green Career Week is just one of several industry initiatives to help cultivate the next generation of floral pros.
Did you experience another chaotic Valentine’s Day with too few hands on deck? Has hiring been an ongoing struggle that keeps you up at night? You’re not alone! Fortunately, the industry has several initiatives to combat the labor shortage and develop the next generation of floral professionals. Learn more about these efforts — and how you can get involved — in the January/February issue of Floral Management.
“Everyone is worried about how to find and keep employees,” says Jazmin Albarran, executive director of Seed Your Future, the Society of American Florists’ partner organization charged with growing awareness for careers in the floriculture and horticulture industries. “They feel like they are competing with other industries.”
Among the ways Seed Your Future is tackling the labor issue is through Green Career Week, slated for Feb. 27 to March 3, designed to connect students with local floriculture and horticulture businesses to learn about career opportunities. During Green Career Week, industry professionals visit a school to talk about their job, invite students to tour their business, and/or showcase positions in their business on social media. Seed Your Future makes participation easy, with a kit that includes templates for the school outreach, sample activities and more.
Albarran says the objective is to tout all the benefits of working in the floral industry. “Wages aren’t necessarily the driving motivator for younger generations,” Albarran says. Some seek professional development, flexible schedules, non-repetitive work, or a fun work culture. Many also care deeply about business ethos. “They want to work for a business, organization, and industry that is helping to save the planet,” she says.
On social media, Albarran recommends highlighting your staff and company culture. “If can see that and feel that, they’ll be more inclined to apply,” she says. Additionally, Seed Your Future has an infographic that highlights some amazing ways green-collared jobs power our world, which industry professionals are encouraged to share.
Green Career Week is just one tactic to recruit and inspire future leaders. A few others include academic scholarships and internships, floral design curriculum in high schools and community colleges, collaborating with youth agriculture groups, and creating networking and educational opportunities for young industry professionals, which is the aim of SAF’s Next Gen LIVE! event June 11-13 in Miami. Learn more about these initiatives in the Floral Management article, “Cultivating the Next Generation.”
Katie Vincent is the senior contributing editor for the Society of American Florists.
