Based at the Floramax flower auction house in Mt Wellington, the floristry centre will equip aspiring florists with the skills, experience and industry exposure for a successful floristry career.

From its new base, MIT’s School of Horticulture will deliver floristry training programmes from beginner level, 12 week Introduction to Floral Design course to the recently introduced National Certificate in Floristry (Level 2).

Dave Bradshaw, Head of MIT’s School of Horticulture and Landscaping, says acquiring a dedicated floristry training centre in Mt Wellington had enabled the school to expand its training portfolio with the introduction of the National Certificate in Floristry.

Floristry lecturer Priscilla Hunt says: “Floristry is experiencing revived popularity as a career option and hobby and we’re seeing great interest in our programmes.

“Our location means that the students benefit from meeting growers, florists and other key industry players on a daily basis so our students stand a good chance of employment when they graduate,” she said.

MIT plans to introduce the National Certificate in Floristry Level 4 this year and the National Certificate in Floristry Level 4 Advanced in 2011.