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Promising Career Choice for Hispanics
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Imagine an industry in the United States in which most of the laborers speak Spanish. Imagine that this industry has a dire need for trained Spanish-speaking management to effectively communicate with its workforce. Imagine also that since this industry is growing so rapidly all over the nation, a great demand for bi-lingual management and design professionals has been created. Doesn’t this sound like a formula for success for ambitious Hispanics seeking an opportunity?
Landscaping has become an important part of the way commercial enterprises present their facilities. Opportunities in commercial landscaping are often overlooked due to the vast demand in residential landscaping. The Landscape Industry is currently one of the more rapidly growing industries in our nation, with more and more homeowners and businesses interested in professionally landscaping their property both to increase its value, and eye-appeal. In the year 2000, the Federal Government predicted that by 2010 the landscaping industry would be an $80 billion industry. However, by 2005 this prediction had already been realized. The affluence of homeowners today, many of whom are enjoying double incomes, contribute to the rapid growth of the landscaping industry, as does the growing awareness of the positive effects of creating pleasing outdoor habitats that are good for our environment. With additional discretionary and disposable incomes available, many families look to home and garden improvement. The success of Home and Garden TV clearly attests to this fact. The rapid growth of the landscaping industry has created an appealing dynamic of greater demand than supply, thus reinforcing the current need of training for this profession.
Typically, when ambitious Hispanics have considered the landscape industry as a possible career direction, they are often deterred by the immediate image of low paying menial laborer positions. The advantage Hispanics have in middle and upper management and designer positions has been somewhat overlooked. Obviously, by breaking the language barrier, the bi-lingual Hispanic has the clear advantage in management! Now imagine. . . in Southern Arizona is the only private professional college in the nation offering Certificate as well as Degree programs in landscape design and management. Fleur de Lis Institute in Tucson offers day as well as night classes in a practical hands-on format. In less than two years the student is well trained for the growing job marketplace, and with either certificate or college degree in hand, graduates are way ahead of their competition for the higher paying industry jobs. On a given day at Fleur de Lis Institute, students might be found installing a design class project on the 4-acre campus of the college. During a student break one might discover a group of students gathered around the fireplace in the Spanish Colonial salon discussing landscape design class challenges. On occasion, a piano solo may even be offered on the salon’s antique grand piano. The historic building boasts mellow brick floors, and antique beams which once supported a railroad bridge in Mexico. The relaxed, colorful ambiance provides an atmosphere conducive to the design process. Included in the curricula are courses in horticulture, plant biology, irrigation, lighting, business, basic landscape drawing and drafting, as well as landscape computer design and construction. All are taught by working professionals in the industry. The degree program is enhanced by the usual general education courses. The training is so thorough that a graduate is prepared for numerous career choices in addition to landscape design and management: nursery operations, environmental plant officer, positions in municipal parks and home owner’s associations, golf course landscaping, and interior plantscape designer, just to name a few. In fact, although Fleur de Lis is academically very thorough, the program is designed to prepare a student in a practical manner for entrepreneurship. Every Associate Degree student receives his or her own Dell lap-top computer. State of the art landscape business management/CAD design software is also provided at significantly discounted student prices. This allows the graduate to begin business endeavors immediately, and with equipment and software they understand. Students of the college also benefit from professional placement assistance, and the entire education program at the Institute is approved for veterans! Individuals seeking to expand and develop their entrepreneurial abilities will discover unlimited opportunities as professionals in the landscape industry. Polyglots fluent in both Spanish and English will find a particular advantage in this industry that is rich with Hispanic laborers. Imagine yourself or someone you know experiencing the benefits of a career in landscape design or management. Good pay, independence, great job satisfaction, and unlimited nationwide demand await properly trained and educated landscaping professionals. Just imagine! End Note: Back to Article |
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