In the TourX project, the participating organisations are developing a comprehensive portfolio to support the internationalisation of vocational training cooperation. This includes providing various tools to support the implementation of study trips and the planning of activities in the context of learning objectives for the participants.

From 14 to 28 September 2024, DEHOGA Brandenburg hosted again an Erasmus+ study incoming trip, now for Italian vocational school students.

The students’ expectations of their stay, the impressions gained and the experiences made during the study trip are an important analytical part of DEHOGA Brandenburg’s project work, also within the framework of the European Erasmus+ programme.

The study trip’s theme, ‘Potsdam – an attractive place for living, working and learning in Europe’, offered a wide range of opportunities to get to know the country and its people. Visits to AVT Teltow, the Oberlin Berufsbildungswerk, the Mercure Hotel and other companies provided a wide range of insights into vocational training in Brandenburg.

The excursion programme also included visits to the palaces of Sanssouci and Cecilienhof, as well as a tour to the Brandenburg state parliament.

The hotel director of the ‘Landhotel Potsdam’ and TourX ambassador Ms Claudia Thom-Neumann and her team offered the perfect accommodation and service for the participants of the study trip in the ‘Kaiser Friedrich’ apartment building in Potsdam-Eiche.

During their stay, the vocational students from the Istituto di Istruzione Superiore ‘Acciaioli – Einaudi’ di Ortona were able to use various digital tools to prepare and carry out the individual excursions. The focus was on mobility information for public transport, tour recommendations and virtual museum tours, which demonstrated the role that digital tools play in navigating through a previously unknown travel region.

One of the highlights of the Italian guests’ study visit was the workshop in the AI laboratory at the Oberlin Vocational Training Centre. Artificial intelligence is currently the subject of discussion everywhere, and the workshop provided a very concrete impression of the possibilities offered by the use of AI tools in vocational training.

The success of this incoming project was mainly due to the wide-ranging commitment of the participating partners from DEHOGA Brandenburg.

During the stay of the Italian vocational students, the previously developed plans, guidelines and templates for the learning outcomes to be achieved were subjected to a comprehensive practical test, and the conclusion can now be: ‘TourX practical test passed!