DCG Success Stories

DCG floristry apprentice Katie Haslam has a natural flair for working with flowers.

The former Peak Award (plant science) winner and Floristry Student of the Year, now works at a Valerie of Dore near Sheffield, providing floral arrangements for every occasion, big and small.

Katie first found her love of floristry while at school, but it was her time spent at College which has allowed her career to flourish.

A florist she met while on work experience form school in Chesterfield recommended Derby College’s full-time technical certificate in floristry, and Katie was so impressed with the interest shown in her by lecturers at the open day, she enrolled right away.

After completing her course with distinction, she progressed to level 2. And, it was while on that course that she gained work experience through College at florist Valerie of Dore, ultimately securing her apprenticeship.

Katie said: “College was great. While on level 2 we went to Aalsmeer in Holland to see the flower market and to Keukenhof, one of the world’s  largest flower gardens. We also did a workshop with a Dutch florist.

Broomfield is very welcoming. On the full-time course, it was nice to be able to compare what I’d done with what the other students and produced.”

Katie loves watching people’s reactions to her work and seeing if what she’s created “comes out the way it looked when it was still in my head.”

Due to complete her level 3 soon, Katie said she hoped to have her own florist’s business one day.