Asian insights: driving green skills and competencies in TVET for the hospitality and tourism sector

What are sustainability skills in the hospitality and tourism sector?

The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) defines sustainability (green) skills as ‘the knowledge, abilities, values and attitudes needed to live in, develop and support a sustainable and resource-efficient society’⁶. Sustainability can be placed in a wider circular economic context where countries and economic sectors commit to minimising their environmental impact and to decouple growth from resource use⁷. Education for Sustainable Development emphasises the need to impart such knowledge throughout the education system⁸.

The BILT expert group discussed the skills and competences needed for employees in the hospitality and tourism sector which is summarized in the following list⁹:

• Eco-management (being able to assess the feasibility of new climate friendly changes)
• Resource (e.g. materials, energy, water, etc.) efficiency (being able to create operational change to reduce resource use) and monitoring (knowing what resources are used)
• Circular practice (capacity to minimise waste and to seek opportunities to re-use/recycle)
• Ecotourism and conservation (basing tourism activities around sustainability goals)
• Knowledge of certification metrics for sustainability practices (for example, working to meet the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s Sustainable Hotel Certification).

The European Union has published a sustainability competence framework¹⁰ for all education levels. Sustainability competences are classified into four areas: embodying sustainability values; embracing complexity in sustainability; envisioning sustainable futures and acting for sustainability. Chen et al, 2022 (and others) refer to the need to develop a sustainability mindset.

The Guide emphasises that TVET providers act across these dimensions and develop an institutional sustainable mindset through leadership and collaboration.

Integrating new sustainability competencies into hospitality and tourism TVET provision

To become champions of sustainability, TVET providers must integrate new competencies into their provision, courses and curriculum. Strategies and plans are required to include them into their teaching practice and learning aims. To do this effectively, TVET providers must know the sustainability practices and expectations of industry.

1. Training curriculum, assessment and qualifications

   TVET providers should decide which sustainability competencies are relevant for all students and which are specific to students in the hospitality and tourism sector and occupations. A next step is to assess whether specific training modules are best added into training courses or whether existing modules are adapted. For example, creating a module on resource management or to integrate sustainability into a tourism management course. A module could be generally applicable for all trainees regardless of sector or specifically for trainees in hospitality and tourism. Certain sustainability skills and competencies may be generic (e.g. recycling practices) others may be tied to the sector or an occupation within it.

   Curriculum changes also require:

   • Relevance for students in different pathways whether school-based TVET and those following an apprenticeship pathway: what is being learned in theory and in practice must align.
   • Capacity to be credibly assessed: sustainability skills are not just about current practice but also involve cognitive and meta-cognitive competence. A ‘mindset’ can be difficult to assess and verify. N Sulkowski (2024) notes that comprehensive assessment frameworks comprising many assessment approaches are needed to deliver sustainability education in a systematic way.

   An example of integrating new ‘sustainability’ modules for students in Singapore is provided in the box.

   Temasek Polytechnic in Singapore has introduced a compulsory subject, Sustainability and Climate Action. All TVET students must complete this module to graduate with a diploma. It provides each student with an overview of sustainability and climate action, including:

   • key pillars of sustainability – environmental concerns; economic cooperation; and socially responsible practices
   • causes and impacts of climate change,
   • responses to climate change (from multi-government agencies to individual countries, companies/organisations, and individuals), and
   • the future of sustainability.

   The aim is to ensure graduate students are global citizens who can contribute to building a sustainable future. Learning outcomes for students include that they are aware of their role as global citizens; they can conduct credible research on climate change challenges; and can create solutions in support of the green economy and sustainability. Drawing from recognized teaching and learning methods for promoting sustainability in tourism (Chen, Pei, Jeronen, Wang, & Xu, 2022), the polytechnic helps learners develop ’strong sustainability mindsets‘ (critical thinking and self-awareness competencies). Learners are guided to explore relationships between traditions and innovation and how to apply their learning in real-world circumstances (systems thinking competency).

   Learning outcomes are assessed throughout the course (formative assessment) using weekly case study discussions.  Summative assessments are conducted at the end of the course through a group project submission centred on a climate change challenge/problem statement; and an individual reflection paper which requires students to participate in a sustainability-themed experiential learning activity.

   As an institution, sustainability and sustainable practices are embedded into the organization.  The polytechnic produces an annual Sustainability Report (https://www.tp.edu.sg/sustainability.html) and creates opportunities for learners to develop general skills in sustainability-responsible living in addition to undertaking hospitality and tourism-related diploma programmes.

2. Trainer competence and teaching methods

   TVET educators and trainers must be well-versed in sustainability skills and competencies, some with specific application to the hospitality and tourism sector. This requires:

   • Additional training for teaching staff or recruiting new specialist staff
   • Working with work-based trainers in the sector to exchange knowledge and practice
   • Integrating new teaching methods and materials

   Preparing educators and educational material for a rapidly evolving field which is developing new (and changing) skills of students requires innovative teaching and learning strategies. New teaching methods may be required due to the nature of sustainability competencies themselves (can sustainability practices be taught in a classroom setting?) or through the development of new educational technology which can be dynamic and more easily adjusted as changes to the curriculum are required. An example of a TVET provider in Cambodia is provided below.

   TVET institution École d'Hôtellerie et de Tourisme Paul Dubrule (EHT) in Cambodia implemented its EcoCampus programme in 2021 to meet the growing demand for sustainable practices in the hospitality and tourism sector.  The motivation for this initiative arose from the need to address several issues:

   • Improve students’ knowledge and skills in sustainable practices in the hospitality and tourism sector and to develop a ‘sustainability mindset’ that encourages positive acceptance and implementation of sustainable practices.
   • Help teaching staff to acquire new skills to develop not only their knowledge but also to provide a framework for them to better integrate green skills into learning materials on a continuous basis.
   • Attract greater involvement from hospitality organizations and enterprises, to work with them to integrate green practices into their operations.
   • Create a platform for suppliers to the École to improve upon their own operational practices to be more sustainable.

   The programme has been student-led and built around the core themes of maintaining and improving health, biodiversity, global citizenship, equity/equality, education, resource consumption, water sanitation, pollution/transportation, waste management, and supply chains. The EcoCampus programme has been holistic in its approach to improving the sustainability practices of the TVET institution; its staff and students and promoting new practice within the sector itself. They have created a flexible, iterative and collaborative approach to learning which has combined theoretical, practical and workplace integrated acquisition of green skills and competencies to occur.

   The EcoCampus programme utilises many teaching and learning methods. Chen et al (Chen, Pei, Jeronen, Wang, & Xu, 2022) describe the most prevalent methods for promoting sustainability within the tourism sector:

   1. Collaborative and interdisciplinary learning
   2. Case study teaching
   3. Problem-based learning
   4. Experiential learning
   5. Practical teaching
   6. Project work
   7. Real-world learning
   8. Reflective teaching/learning
   9. Active learning/constructivist learning
   10. Creative teaching

   The research describes how methods are combined to help students develop collaborative and interdisciplinary skills and system thinking skills. Bianchi (2020) notes that these methods facilitate transformative learning, which are recommended for teaching sustainability education.

3. Collaboration, partnerships and information exchange between TVET providers and sector-based organizations and enterprises

   Integrating sustainability competencies into TVET provision requires:

   • Integrating sustainable practices (such as recycling) into skills provision for existing occupations; and
   • Accommodating new job roles created due to the transition to a green economy. New jobs such as sustainability consultants, auditors and managers of environmental, sustainability and governance (ESG) requirements.

   As industry in undergoing a transformation to become more focused on sustainable practice and outcomes, new job roles are changing or emerging. An example of a multi-stakeholder approach for reform in Australia is provided in the box below.

   Australia has a long record of action to incorporate green skills into the delivery of TVET courses. It does so through multi-stakeholder cooperation.

   In 2009, an Action Plan from the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts called: Living Sustainably: Australian Government’s National Action Plan for Sustainability required the TVET sector to incorporate sustainability into all national training packages and to implement sustainable campus management practices. Specifically for the hospitality and tourism sector, the sector skills council prepared a report Environmental sustainability: an Industry Approach. The report identified more than 120 specific units of competence relating to sustainability in 25 training packages (including the SIT training package for travel, hospitality and tourism).

   The sector skills council developed nationally applicable industry training packages with defined units of competency and qualifications for each job role in the sector. TVET providers define curricula and learning methods to deliver and assess skills and competences which meet those nationally endorsed requirements. All training packages in the sector comprise environmental sustainability skills. Information on the Australian industry training packages are available at www.training.gov.au. 

    

It cuts both ways: TVET providers and labour market stakeholders must be responsive and pro-active to each other to promote sustainability in the hospitality and tourism sector

The discussion above highlights the importance of having a dynamic, well-resourced and supported TVET system which can lead the transition to a greener economy through their own actions and their collaboration with economic sectors. The hospitality and tourism sector is undergoing a transition and becoming more focused on sustainable outcomes. The World Economic Forum post on how to develop sustainable travel products customers want (Neuenburg, Walfisch, Nehme, & Soshkin, 2022) notes:

1. There is a growing number of hospitality and tourism organizations that have been or are actively pursuing recognized sustainability certification.
2. There is an increase in demand by the visitor market for sustainable hospitality and tourism products and services.
3. The are growing number of systems, products, and services that support the delivery of sustainable hospitality and tourism products and services.

Job roles are changing, and new ones are emerging, which complicate the TVET system response. At the same time, the characteristics of sustainable practices may be common across some sectors and jobs, for example, energy saving practices requiring generic sustainability training. Other sustainable practices are emerging.

The emphasis in the literature on developing a sustainability mindset requires a dynamic approach and an expectation that sector needs and standards will be continuously changing and becoming more ambitious. Curricula based on learning outcomes and competency are designed to prepare and assess students on their current not future competency. An issue made more complex if the practice of a TVET provider (acting as an agent to promote sustainability) is ahead of industry practice. A traditional challenge in the TVET system is ensuring the skills and competencies taught are relevant to the demands of labour market stakeholders. There is less discussion about how to promote new skills and competences which are ahead of industry practice.

Conclusion

A main goal of the BILT expert groups is to bring together training and labour market stakeholders within an economic sector from across Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific to discuss how they are addressing common challenges. As noted, the hospitality and tourism sector is economically significant from economic and employment perspectives and accountable for significant impacts on the environment. This article is written from the perspective of the TVET system and the need to:

• Prepare students for employment with the practical skills needed for their chosen occupation.
• Develop a sustainability mindset for trainees and workers which can serve the sector and the wider community.

While the Asia-Pacific region and the hospitality and tourism sectors is diverse, there is a common recognition that the TVET system provides the means to improve worker productivity and boost economic growth. Customer expectations for more sustainable tourism are increasing at a rapid rate. While there are many examples of good practice in tourist destinations, the rate of transfer of knowledge and the acquisition of skills is not keeping up with the demand of visitors. The TVET system response and the role of the system to provide leadership by spreading good practice and increasing the acquisition of skills required to demonstrate that practice, is vital. But there remains a need to bridge the wide gaps in TVET capabilities, opportunities, and infrastructure across the region and promote its role as a leader in sustainability. This article has highlighted some common challenges and has provided some reference frameworks and examples of how the TVET system can respond.