Effective green partnership for the hotel industry: A perspective from Hong Kong cases studies

It is widely accepted that vocational and professional education training (VPET) is a key partner in boosting social and economic advancement of societies by building human capital and therefore, facilitating smooth transitions towards a low-carbon economy. However, not many studies have addressed the development of green skills at the VPET level, nor have they considered the ways VPET should respond to skill challenges associated with environmental concerns and climate change. One of the ways to explore the issue is through analysis of greening practices in industry. This highlights the ways in which VPET is contributing, or can contribute, towards development of required skills. This paper examines common environmentally friendly operations in the hotel industry; reveals existing drivers for addressing environmental/sustainability challenges; explores upskilling strategies and staff training programs adopted in the hotel industry in Hong Kong. A particular focus of this analysis is the use and influence of partnerships on existing processes and on how greening the hospitality industry can be improved through the partnerships. The article adopted a theoretical model developed from the quintuple helix model to understand the interactions between different partners (particularly the hotel industry, government and VPET in Hong Kong) and the ways the flow of knowledge and innovation can promote knowledge production in support of sustainable development (Carayannis et. al., 2012). This model also suggests ways to improve partnerships among parties pertaining to greening skills development, which ultimately help support the greening of Hong Kong’s economy. Copyright © 2018 ECSS/ECSEE2018.