Florist here!
You're right, floristry is romanticised. The people who are making any sort of decent money in floristry take it seriously and operate as proper commercial businesses. This will be a very busy high street florist or large wedding and event florist who are generally workshop based. They generally buy large quantities of stock and churn out work day after day. Staff work quickly and they operate like well oiled machines. These are the businesses that will stand the test of time.
In recent years a lot of one (wo)man bands have sprung up. Lots of middle aged ladies who have had previous careers, do a couple of workshops then set up on their own working from home. They post a lot of photos on Instagram and seem to spend a lot of time phaffing. I freelance and have worked for a couple. Amazing social media presence but technically not actually very good florists. I recently saw one person who was doing a course with one of the big London florists and was passing the work off as her own. Sadly the flower school apron she was wearing was a bit of a giveaway! I'm not sure if many of them are making a lot of money.
What's the job like? Well, it's very physical. You stand on your feet all day and are often lugging buckets of water, cast iron pedestals, large arrangements around. A large handtied bouquet is heavy and you have to be able to hold it in one hand while your making it. It's also very dirty and there is lots of waste so emptying large bins and jumping in the Biffa bin are standard. Green hands, dirty finger nails and sore hands from cuts, grazes and splinters are standard. Florist shops and workshops rarely have heating so it's pretty freezing unless the weather is warm.
It's tough in floristry at the moment. Flower prices have risen significantly in the last few years. I live in an affluent area so still work for several businesses who are busy but there are quite a few shops that have closed so there are very few job opportunities around and it is also very low paid overall. Workplaces are very varied and it can be a bit bitchy. Everyone wants to do the nice stuff and if you're working with strong personalities you can get lumbered with all the grunt work of sweeping the floor and bin emptying because not everyone understands the meaning of team.
Having said all of the above, I love it!
In your daughter's shoes, I would research all of the florists in the area and identify the best one in terms of reputation and how busy they are. I would aim for a busy high street florist who are aimed at mid to high end of market. I'd see if I could get a Saturday job and just say yes to everything. Get used to sweeping the floor, making tea, emptying the bins, conditioning flowers, gift wrapping plants, etc. Don't expect to do any floristry. Just soak up the atmosphere and take it all in. Watch the staff and how it all works. From there, I would ask them to take me on as an apprentice. Do the level 2 qualification and learn on the job. I didn't quite take this route myself but it's the best way and the florists I've met who have done this are generally much better florists. You need to learn the technical stuff first. Creative expression can come after!