"Participants of the project are 12 pupils of the „Polytechnische Schule Tamsweg“, department for services and technology and 7 pupils of the BBS II Gifhorn. Our school prepares and supports pupils for later jobs. Pupils are already at school taught in subjects, with specific outline for their future jobs. Objective target of the project lies in enhancement of professional and educational training abroad and thereafter in the home country.To reach this aim professional practice, attendance of classes in a vocational school, as well as exchange of experiences abroad is included. Focus is laid on assistance of training and postgraduate professional education in the area of economic and social cooperation.Cooperation between „Polytechnische Schule Tamsweg“ and our partner school „BBS II“ in Gifhorn, Germany, should enable attenders, advisors, and other contact persons to gain and exchange in economic, touristic, technical, as well as social aspects.Participants are expected to have direct access in our partner school and in the different firms to experience working conditions in another country within the EU. They are also entitled to experience training and postgraduate professional education in connection with the possibility of intercultural exchanges.During the 10-day stay of the 12 participants of the PTS Tamsweg, the participants completed half of the project days in selected companies, the other half in the vocational school. This gave them an insight into the work processes of German companies. The participants noted their experiences in practice diaries (see Annex), with special emphasis on the records of the vocational school visit. At the center of the 7-day stay of the 7 participants from Gifhorn, was the processing of pine wood in the workshop of the PTS. As a supporting program, company visits, a lecture on the Lungau biosphere, a walking tour of the Fexen and various joint leisure activities were held. As a result, the contact between the participants from Austria and Germany was positively influenced and the motivation to stay in touch remains.Due the cooperative character of the project ""Lebensraum Biosphäre Lungau"" - Lebensbaum Zirbe"" intercultural exchange for sustainable use of regrowing natural resources is encouraged.In the production of various pieces of pine wood (pine fan, wooden game of stone pine, decorative material from pine, lunch box) or products ""around the stone pine"" (stone pine pillow, stone pine lipstick, pine soap, pine schnapps ...) or the preparation of presentations, received the TN a comprehensive knowledge of the material and the by-products of Swiss stone pine. Great attention was paid to the positive influence of stone pine on health. Before completion of the project, a comprehensive evaluation of all participants in the project was carried out and in the individual classes of the PTS the participants acted as multipliers."

Technical progress in databased operating of processes in production has drastically advanced. To operate and develop the processes in the future, it needs an integration of EDP supported systems in vocational education. A lot of professions are already based on EDP supported systems.The Internet is a permanent part of sociocultural as well as workplace related information- and communication infrastructure. Cost-efficient, effective and mobile devices, universal availability of the Internet and user-friendly applications lead towards a change of information and communication behaviour. According to these changes, new forms of learning are necessary and furthermore are a necessary step into the future. All scenarios of learning, which are not exclusively face-to-face or online executed, are named blended learning or hybrid learning, thus a combination of virtual and non-virtual settings of learning and methods.The BMBF (office of education and science) has published a brochure “Digital Media in Vocational Education” in which “Social Augmented Learning (SAL)” is emphasised. According to the brochure “The aim of Social Augmented Learning is the consequent use and application of digital media to update and develop education. SAL works on different levels: Using Social Learning apprentices are apt to document their learning progress, generate their own learning content or update existing content. Furthermore apprentices might use mobile learning to work and learn self-reliant at every place and at every time. The content is based on the “virtual print system”.”This argument also works for the education of welding operators. Recently simulators for the welding education are introduced at professional expositions. These simulators are a new level of didactical and methodical education. These multimedia teaching aids are close to reality and contain a great motivational factor. All produced results could be easily retrieved, and this offers a good opportunity to reflect on results and thereby are a welcome support to the later realisation in a workshop.The simulators based on Augmented Reality could be easily configured for a large number of different languages. This enables apprentices of different partner institutions to operate the simulator rather easily. In addition to that, the simulators are not linked to a workshop which offers the usage of these simulators in classrooms. Another benefit is the reduction of working hazards including exposure to light, extreme temperatures, dangerous gas formation and dust formation and the incidence of cinder. This reduction of working hazards is, especially for young and difficult learners, a great benefit because the potential danger is much higher.This new technology might be used in trade and industry alike, for full-time students and part-time students, for beginners and advanced students. Especially for students with “special needs” this technology offers a great potential. The location-independent use is not restricted to workshops equipped with a vacuum device, workshops with potential hazards and complex safety regulations. This technology is predestined for the usage in international contexts and diverse groups of students.The planned project shall involve an international concept for an introduction in MAG welding using the simulator in different groups of students and an evaluation of the concept. Very important is the guided self-reliant work of the students in which they have online access to their acquired theoretical skills and knowledge. The virtual results are going to be compared and evaluated by using tablet computers. The guidance and support of the concept is provided by the project partner of teacher education in Brunswick. Technical guidance is provided by the Metal-Guild Gifhorn and the company H.Butting GmbH& Co.KG. All educational modules will be developed, prepared and evaluated together and provided for all members of the project.Stratetic Partners are: BBS II in LeerGermany; Saimaan ammattiopisto Sampo - Finland; Buskerud videregaende skole - Norway; Goierri - Spain; 7 Ersatikiato Athen - Greece; PTS Tamsweg - AustriaAssociated Partners: Metall-Innung Gifhorn - Germany; TKNIKA Errenteria - Spain; BBS für Metalltechnik Bremen - Germany; Studienseminar Braunschweig - Germany; Fa. Butting GmbH&co. KG - Germany;