Concerns are mounting over illegal and substandard training providers that approach companies by impersonating business partners or promising false completion records, as demand for legally mandated workplace training concentrates at the end of the year.
Data analyzed by Hunet showed that November drew the highest number of learners of any month, with about 470,000 in 2024 and about 490,000 in 2025, the company said on the 25th. Sales activity by illegal and substandard training providers exploiting that year-end concentration has also been rising.
Improper sales tactics disguised as mandatory training have already surfaced. A small manufacturer identified as Company A signed up for training after being contacted by a firm posing as one of its business partners, only to be pitched a funeral services plan during the session.
The head of another small company was offered a deal in which taking just one of several mandatory training courses would be recorded as completion of all of them. But each mandatory course has different completion standards and content, so such an arrangement cannot satisfy legal requirements. In that case, a company would have to run the training again and could also face penalties for non-completion.
In a Hunet survey of 437 companies on the status of mandatory training, 48.1% of respondents said they had received training offers from marginal or illegal providers. That amounts to roughly one in two companies being exposed to improper training sales.
Because year-end demand leaves companies vulnerable to substandard sales pitches, analysts said firms should verify in advance whether a provider operates legally and what the completion requirements are for each course. "The risk of damage is high at small and mid-sized companies that find it difficult to manage mandatory training on their own," an industry official said. "Companies should check training providers and completion requirements carefully so they do not end up using substandard providers while rushing to complete courses at year-end."