1 What employment possibilities are there for a flower art
graduate? There many possibilities such as: flower designer, salesperson in a
flower shop, manager of the design room or shop. Or you can start your
own flower shop. After ADFA-2 or Master course you can give courses or
workshops. You can work free lance. You can work in a garden center or
at a wholesaler's. Also possible is a job in flower trade.
2 Do I have to work in a flower shop while
I follow a floral art course of VBW (Dutch Florist Association)? No, this is not compulsory. Of course it is advisable to gain as much
experience in the profession as possible. It will also lead to better
results.
3 What does a professional course cost? This varies per school and type of course. There are schools that offer
the program in one year, others will do it in two years. Important is
how many hours the school is teaching you. In a two-year program you
will learn much more because you gain more experience. We advise you to
take the two years course. One year courses often are too limited, unless
the total hours are the same.
You can ask for more information at your local licensed school or either
the VBW or EFDA in Holland: tel. 0318-527568 or send an E-mail
to info@vbw-groenplein.nl.
In many countries the costs of a professional course are tax deductible.
Costs include: course fee, books, flowers, containers, travel expenses
and examination fee.
4 How much time will the study take? This varies per person, but the average minimum for a 2-year is:
DFA -1 per day 0.5 hour theory and 0.5 - 1 hour practical work.
DFA-2 per day 1 till 1,5 hours for theory.
ADFA-1 per day 0.5 - 1 hour theory and 1 hour practical work.
ADFA-2 extra theory part, one year, per day 0,5 - 1-hour theory.
MASTER course two year, per day 1 hour theory and 1.5 hours practical
work. Part A of the proeve.
Final Master examination (part B of the Proeve): This entails a special
project taking minimal 6 till 12 months. The time needed is between 200
and 300 hours, depending on your knowledge, level and experience. (Important
is to practice as often as possible.)
5 What will the examination cost? This depends on a number of factors. You can enter the Dutch national
open examination of DFA-1. The examination for ADFA and Master must be
taken at a licensed school.
The licensed schools have to pay examination fees to VBW and
provide materials and flowers. The number of participants influences the
costs of the examination. A rough estimate (prices can change):
DFA-1 (only practical) € 400 till 500
DFA-2 Practical and theoretical € 350 till 500
ADFA-1 (only practical) € 400 till 500
ADFA-2 (practical and theoretical) € 500
till 650
Master (part A) € 500 till 750
Part B, Proeve van Meesterschap (Dutch Master diploma) depending on your
examination project - for part A € 600
till 900
Additional cost about € 175
The Proeve € 500 - 900
6 There are Dutch schools offering
the VBW course program in 1 or in 2
years, what is the difference? Schools are free to determine the contents of their course. The VBW
offers a fixed program. For the practical lessons that means
approximately 70 different styles, techniques and variations; also theory
and botany. This can be accomplished in 1 year during 8 hours of lessons
per day all week. Check how
many lessons the school has planned for a course.
A guide line: DFA-1 230
hours; DFA-2 only for theory about ADFA-1 230 hours; ADFA-2 only extra additional theory 125 hours;
Master-1 150 hours, final test for Dutch master 150 hours.
For English language students there are possibilities for a short program
of about 6 month. Even there is comprehensive summer course of 7 weeks.
7 Are there any good study books for
the professional courses of VBW? There are some books for VBW courses published by the VBW. However
licensed schools decide for themselves what will be offered in the course.
Because of this there is much variation in quality. Most of the information
needed can be found in the books written by Aad van Uffelen and in the
books written by J. van Doesburg (some books are out of print, and not
all are in English).
Also there are recent lesson books from VBW. Those are
good for basic information, but are rather expensive.
8 Where can I find the address of a licensed school?
You can enquire at VBW. Tel. 0318-527568 or send an e-mail to info@vbw-groenplein.nl.
Or go to our link-page and look at courses.
9 Can I find a job in a flower shop easily?
If you are not older than 25 it is not difficult. Often people combine
the course with a job. For people older than 25 it is harder to find a
job, but this varies per country. Often people start their own shop.
10 What do I need to start a flower shop?
This is different for each country. In Holland and in many other countries
too, no diplomas are required. We advise you not to start a flower
shop without good training as a florist and floral designer and good
knowledge of managing a shop.
11 Where can I find out-of-print books on flower written by van Aad
van Uffelen? Your best chance is to go through second-hand bookshops in Holland
or Belgium. You also can send a mail to Aad van Uffelen.
13 Is it possible to study and work in Holland
if you are not a citizen of the EU?
There are very strict rules in the EU (European Union). You need
a residence permit, for some countries a visa, to stay. To work you need
a special work permit, this is difficult to obtain.
14 I only speak English, can I follow a course in Holland? Yes, this is possible. You can follow practical lessons of the courses
DFA-1 or ADFA-1. For small groups it is possible to follow a private course
in English and/or a special program. Ask us for more information.
15 Do you have a list with names and addresses of schools, courses for
flower art?
For this you can go to our link-page and see list schools and courses.
17 Were can I find information about the books
written by Aad van Uffelen? In this website you find on the book page, all information you want
about the books written by Aad van Uffelen. Read
more.
