Ulm Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK Ulm) is submitting an application to offer trainees in commercial occupations requiring formal traning the oppertunity to acquire the additional qualification "international merchant" (AHK) in a three-week stay in London. The application is being submitted by two institutions: Ulm Chamber of Commerce and Industry (sending organisation) and the European College of Business and Management (ECBM) in England, London (receiving organisation)Ulm Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a self-regulatory body of the regional economy with approximentely 30.000 mebmer companies in the administrative districts of Alb-Donau and Biberach as well as in the urban district of Ulm. Chamber of Commerice and Industry is a contact for all business matters. It is committed to an extensive and high-quality range of educational oppertunities and for more quality in the educational system. Only with a sufficient choice of well qualified specialist workers will our companies be able to survive in international competition due to innovations and new technologies in future as well. For thies reason, IHK Ulm is committed to good education in all educatinal areas.According to forecasts, the economically strong chamber of commerce and industry region of Ulm will be affected to an aboveaverage extent by the lack of specialist workers. Here, in turn, the lack of specialist workers will particulary hit SMEs. The dual vocational training system is acquiring particular importance of securing the young crop of specialist workers. Here, it will be particularly important to gain school leavers for vocational training. This is possible only with specail additional offerings that serve to promote talent at the same time. Stay abroad for the purpose of using and improving foreign language skills as well as improving knowledge of international economic relations are ideal for preparing qualified commercial trainess for challenging roles at international companies.In the long term, Ulm Chamber of Commerce and Industry intends to use such projects to make the dual vocational training system attracitve for young people and also for companies. It also aims to preserve well qualified specialist workers for the region through the additional qualification and thus cover the need for specialist workers in their region.The partner institution European College offers a professional development programme, an intensive course for trainees with the objective of acquiring the additional qualification of international merchant (AHK).The target group of this project is commercial trainess in their first odersecond year of training in a dual vocational training course. The companies at which the trainess complete their training mostly have transnational connecations or foreign customer contacts. IHK Ulm will carry out a 3-week stay in London with 25 participants in June 2017 and with 25 participant in May/June 2018. All two stays abroad serve the acquistion of the additional qualification AHK "international merchant". The participants take part in an intensive course at the ECBM in London. The intensive course consists of theoretical knowledge impartation and excursions such as company visits, etc. in order to increase and demonstrate knowledge in practice. In this programme, knowledge of the British economy and knowledge of trade and politics is acquired. Above all, foreign language skills are expanded and intensified and the participants gain intercultural experience. At the end of the courese, a three-stage exanimation is sat for the additional qualification of "international merchant".Ulm Chamber of Commerce and Industry will publish regular reports in the press on this project so that a wide public is informed about the project