Custom eLearning for Organizations in Germany
For international L&D, HR, EHS and compliance teams comparing eLearning companies in Germany: courses your staff understand, your works council can review and your LMS can track.
IKHYA is a custom eLearning development company that builds courses for organizations in Germany: English masters with German-language versions, safety instruction (Unterweisung) modules, compliance courses and SCORM or xAPI packages for your LMS. We plan each course around the German rules your team works with, including works-council consultation, ArbSchG §12 safety instruction and GDPR.
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Searching for eLearning companies in Germany usually means you need more than a name on a list. You need a provider that understands why a German plant needs a different safety course from a US one, what your works council will ask, and how a German version fits on the same screen as the English one. This page explains those points first, then shows what we build.
What Is Different About eLearning in Germany?
Five things shape a course for a German workforce: the works council's rights on training, the employer's duty to give safety instruction, German-language versions for staff who do not work in English, the accessibility law for consumer-facing services, and GDPR for learner data. The table sums them up; each has its own section below.
| Local factor | What the source says | What it means for your course |
|---|---|---|
| Works council (Betriebsrat) | Works Constitution Act (BetrVG) §96 to §98 give the works council consultation and participation rights on vocational training; §87(1) no. 6 covers technical devices designed to monitor behavior or performance. | Plan time for works-council review and give it a clear course outline, objectives and a description of what the LMS records. |
| Safety instruction (Unterweisung) | Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG) §12 and DGUV Vorschrift 1 §4: instruction during working time, before work starts and when tasks or technology change, repeated at least once a year, documented. | eLearning can carry the knowledge part, with a check of understanding, a way to ask questions and on-site practice where needed. |
| German language | DGUV Regel 100-001 (June 2025): instruction must be given in an understandable form and language. | Plan a German version (and other plant languages) from the start, not as an afterthought. |
| Accessibility (BFSG) | The Accessibility Strengthening Act covers certain services for consumers provided after June 28, 2025. | Usually not internal training, but it can matter for consumer-facing learning such as a customer academy. |
| Data protection (GDPR) | Learner records are personal data; a vendor that processes them on your behalf needs a contract under GDPR Article 28. | Decide early what the LMS tracks and who sees it. |
This page gives general information from the official texts, not legal advice. Your legal team and works council decide how the rules apply to your organization.
Planning Courses With Your Works Council
Short answer: many German organizations have a works council (Betriebsrat), and the Works Constitution Act gives it rights on training. It must be consulted on training programs, it takes part in decisions on how in-company training is carried out, and it has a say on technical systems designed to monitor performance. A clear course plan makes that review faster.
What the Act says, in the words of the official English translation:
- §96: the employer and the works council "have to promote the vocational training of the staff". At the works council's request, the employer has to determine the need for training, and the works council may make proposals.
- §97(1): the employer has to consult the works council on in-plant training facilities and on introducing vocational training programs in the establishment.
- §97(2): if the employer plans measures that change employees' work so their skills are no longer enough for their duties, the works council participates in decisions on the training programs. If there is no agreement, a conciliation committee decides.
- §98(1): the works council "has to participate in the decisions relating to the implementation of vocational training" in the establishment.
- §87(1) no. 6: the works council co-determines the introduction and use of technical devices designed to monitor the behavior or performance of employees. An LMS that stores scores and completion data can raise this question, so ask your legal team early.
This does not mean every course needs a formal approval. It means a course that changes how people work, or an LMS that records results, is easier to roll out when the works council sees a clear plan early.
What we prepare for your works council review
Before the build starts, we give you a short pack you can share with your works council:
- 01
the course outline and learning objectives;
- 02
who takes the course, how long it takes and whether it runs in working time;
- 03
the assessment: number of questions, pass mark and what happens after a fail;
- 04
what the course reports to the LMS (for example completion, score, time) and what it does not;
- 05
the language versions planned.
Safety Instruction (Unterweisung): Where eLearning Fits
Short answer: German employers must instruct staff on safety and health at work during working time, before work starts and whenever tasks, equipment or technology change. The accident insurance rules add a yearly repeat and documentation. eLearning can deliver the knowledge part well, but the DGUV rules say self-study alone is not enough: learners must be able to ask questions, and understanding must be checked.
The rules in more detail
ArbSchG §12(1)
The employer instructs employees on safety and health at work during their working time, sufficiently and appropriately. Instruction happens when someone is hired, when tasks change, when new equipment or technology is introduced, and before the work starts. It must adapt to new hazards and be repeated where needed. Under §12(2), for agency workers the hiring company gives the site-specific instruction.
DGUV Vorschrift 1 §4(1)
The accident prevention regulation of the German statutory accident insurance says instruction must be repeated where needed, "mindestens aber einmal jährlich" (at least once a year), and documented.
DGUV Regel 100-001 (edition June 2025)
Instruction must be given in an understandable form and language. The people responsible must make sure staff understood it, learners must be able to ask questions, and handing over content for self-study alone is not enough. Where electronic aids are used, some work steps may also need practical, hands-on instruction.
What that means for the design of a safety course for a German site
Site-specific content
Your machines, your hazards, your protective measures and your operating instructions (Betriebsanweisungen), not generic stock scenes.
A real check of understanding
Scenario questions on the decisions people make on the floor, with feedback, not a click-through.
A built-in route to questions
A closing screen that tells learners who their instructor or supervisor is and when the follow-up talk happens.
Blended where needed
A self-paced module for the knowledge part, plus a short in-person or virtual session for hands-on steps. IKHYA's blended learning packages combine both.
Records your LMS can show
Completion and score per learner, so you can document the yearly instruction.
How we build safety instruction courses
IKHYA builds safety instruction (Unterweisung) courses for German sites, in German, English and the other languages your staff work in. The course supports your instruction duty; you stay the employer who instructs.
- 01
Start from your risk assessment
We turn the hazards and protective measures in your risk assessment (Gefährdungsbeurteilung) and your operating instructions (Betriebsanweisungen) into short modules per job group, for example production, warehouse, workshop or office.
- 02
Agree the mix with your safety team
With your occupational safety specialist we decide what runs as eLearning and what stays in person: hands-on steps at machines, first use of protective equipment, and any instruction a specific regulation asks to be given in person.
- 03
Build a real check of understanding
Quiz questions after each chapter, workplace scenarios with feedback and a final test. A learner who fails sees which topics to repeat.
- 04
Add the route to questions
The closing screen names the contact person and the follow-up talk with the supervisor.
- 05
Set up the records
The SCORM or xAPI package reports completion, score and date per learner to your LMS, and a personal completion certificate can be added, so the yearly instruction is documented.
- 06
Keep one master course
You re-assign it every year and we update it when a hazard, machine or rule changes. Modules for new starters, agency workers and changed tasks come from the same source.
For the wider compliance side (data protection, code of conduct, anti-bribery and other mandatory topics), see our compliance eLearning page.
German-Language and Multilingual Versions
Short answer: most international teams in Germany work in English at head office, but frontline staff in plants, warehouses and labs often need German, and many sites also need other languages. Build one English master that is ready for translation, then add a German version and any other site languages from the same source. IKHYA delivers courses in 40+ languages, with human or AI voiceover.
Things that matter for a good German version
- 01
German text is longer
The W3C's internationalization guidance notes that text normally expands when translated from English, that short strings expand the most, and that long German compound nouns may not wrap. Design screens, buttons and text boxes with room to grow so the German version does not need a redesign.
- 02
Du or Sie
German has a formal "you" (Sie) and an informal one (du). We use Sie by default, the safe choice for most workplace training, and switch to du if that is how your company speaks. Agree it with your HR or communications team before translation starts and use it on every screen, in the voiceover and in the quiz.
- 03
Native German voice and review
German versions are voiced by native German speakers and checked in context by a native German reviewer on our side before your team sees them.
- 04
Your own terms
Safety signs, machine names and SOP titles must match what staff see on site. A glossary agreed at the start keeps every version consistent.
- 05
In-context review
A reviewer who speaks German checks the built course, not a spreadsheet, so truncated text and wrong labels are caught before launch.
Read more about our eLearning translation services, including human or AI voiceover.
Accessibility: When the BFSG Applies
Short answer: the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG), Germany's law implementing the European Accessibility Act, covers certain products and certain services provided to consumers after June 28, 2025. Internal employee training is not a consumer service, so the BFSG usually does not apply to it. It can matter when you sell or offer learning to consumers online.
What the law text says:
- §1(3): the services covered are those provided "für Verbraucher" (for consumers) after June 28, 2025. They include telecommunications, parts of passenger transport services, consumer banking services, e-books and e-commerce services.
- §3(3): the accessibility requirements for services do not apply to micro-enterprises that provide services.
- §38: there are transition periods, for example for service contracts concluded before June 28, 2025 (until June 27, 2030 at the latest).
So if your organization runs a customer academy, paid online courses or product training sold to consumers, check with your legal team whether the BFSG applies. Either way, accessible courses help every learner. IKHYA builds accessible eLearning to WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508.
Learner Data and GDPR
Short answer: names, scores, completion dates and xAPI statements about identifiable employees are personal data under the GDPR. If a vendor processes that data for you, the GDPR requires a contract (or other legal act) with that processor. Decide what the course reports before the build, and share that with your works council. When IKHYA handles your learner data, for example during LMS setup or migration, we sign a GDPR processor agreement.
Practical points for a German rollout
Personal data
GDPR Article 4(1) defines personal data as "any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person". An LMS record with a learner's name and score fits that definition.
Processors
Under Article 28, you may only use processors that give sufficient guarantees, and the processing must be governed by a contract or other legal act.
Track what you need
Completion and score are usually enough for compliance records. Detailed xAPI tracking (every click, every attempt) gives richer analytics but also more personal data to justify and protect.
Testing
Ask any vendor to test on a staging site or with test accounts, so real learner data does not have to leave your systems.
What We Build for Teams in Germany
IKHYA has delivered eLearning since 2010: 500+ projects for clients in 40+ countries, by a team of 120+ specialists. For organizations in Germany we build:
Custom courses for your processes
Scenario-based and simulation-based courses built on your procedures, products and software.
See custom eLearning development →Safety and compliance courses
Safety instruction modules, data protection, code of conduct and other mandatory topics, with assessments your LMS can report.
See compliance eLearning →German and multilingual versions
German versions of English courses (or the other way round) and other site languages, with human or AI voiceover.
See eLearning translation services →Conversions and LMS rollout
PowerPoint and classroom (ILT) to eLearning conversion, legacy course redesign, and LMS selection, setup, implementation and migration.
See all eLearning services →Industries: manufacturing and safety, healthcare and life sciences, financial services, retail, IT and software, aviation, and oil and gas / energy.
Tools and outputs: Articulate Storyline 360, Articulate Rise 360, Adobe Captivate, Lectora, iSpring Suite, dominKnow ONE and Elucidat. Outputs: SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, xAPI and HTML5. You receive the editable source files (for example Storyline or Captivate files) for future revisions.
LMS platforms: LMS platforms we have delivered courses to include Moodle, TalentLMS, Docebo and Cornerstone. We set up, configure and support these platforms, and we build courses that track in SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004 and xAPI LMSs.
We test every course in your LMS before launch, for example Absorb, SAP SuccessFactors, Workday Learning, Canvas or Litmos.
Example: One Safety Course, 9 Languages, 14 Sites
Industrial manufacturing
One safety course in 9 languages, live at 14 sites in 5 weeks
Industrial equipment manufacturer (name withheld) · 14 plants and service sites in Europe, Latin America and Asia · about 6,500 production, warehouse and field-service staff · Articulate Storyline 360 · SCORM 2004 · 9 languages · 5 weeks
- Challenge
- Each site translated the global safety course on its own. The last update took 4 months to reach all sites, and 3 sites ran an outdated version. A new safety standard set a fixed launch date, shift workers could give 30 minutes, and the voiceover budget was limited.
- What we built
- A 30-minute Storyline course with 4 branching hazard scenarios (forklift traffic, working at height, machine guarding, chemical storage). Text boxes were sized for 35% text growth because German runs longer. All 9 languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Simplified Chinese and Thai) sit in one multi-language file, built with Articulate Localization and checked line by line in context by native linguists in Review 360. Human voiceover in 6 languages, AI voiceover in 3. Learners pick their language at launch.
- How we worked
- Week 1, design, translation-ready storyboard and safety glossary; weeks 2 and 3, English build with 2 review rounds; week 4, translation, voiceover and in-country review; week 5, testing in the client's LMS in every language.
- Results
- Live at all 14 sites in 5 weeks, on the same day in all 9 languages. 9 versions are maintained from one master file. 91% completion in the first 30 days (from the LMS; completion shows reach, not safer behavior).
"Nine languages from one Storyline master file, all live on the same day at fourteen sites. Every version was tested in our LMS before launch, and the next update is one change instead of nine translation projects."
How a Project Works
- 01
Kickoff call in your business hours
We agree goals, audience, languages, du or Sie, LMS and deadlines. Germany runs on CET (UTC+1), and CEST (UTC+2) in summer, and we schedule calls in your working day.
IKHYA and you - 02
Course plan and works-council pack
Outline, objectives, assessment and LMS reporting, ready to share internally.
IKHYA drafts, you review - 03
Storyboard and glossary
Every screen, scenario and question in English (or German), plus the terms list for translation.
IKHYA drafts, you review - 04
Build and review
We build the master course; you review it online, normally in 2 rounds.
IKHYA builds, you review - 05
German and other versions
Translation, voiceover and an in-context language review.
IKHYA, with your reviewer - 06
LMS testing and launch
Every language version tested in your LMS, then handover with editable source files.
IKHYA tests, you launch
You send us, we prepare
You send us You
- source material: SOPs, operating instructions, slides, existing courses;
- a subject-matter expert for content questions;
- your brand guide and any German style rules;
- LMS details and a test account;
- the list of languages and sites.
We prepare IKHYA
- course plan and works-council pack;
- storyboard and translation glossary;
- the built course and all language versions;
- SCORM or xAPI packages tested in your LMS;
- editable source files.
Your free quote includes a recommended route and a timeline.
What Drives the Cost of a Course for a German Workforce?
Short answer: every project is quoted on its scope. The cost depends mainly on course length, interactivity, media, voiceover, the number of languages, the authoring tool, review rounds and LMS testing. A free quote from IKHYA includes a recommended route and a timeline for your project.
How to Choose Between eLearning Companies in Germany
Short answer: the "eLearning companies" in German search results are very different businesses: LMS vendors and hosts, course libraries, local production agencies, language-learning providers and custom developers. Decide first whether you need a platform, ready-made content or courses built on your own processes, then compare providers of that type.
| Provider type | Best for | Check before you sign |
|---|---|---|
| LMS vendors and hosting providers | Running and hosting your learning platform | Content is usually a separate project; ask who builds the courses |
| Off-the-shelf course libraries | Generic topics such as soft skills or software basics, fast | Courses do not show your sites, machines or procedures |
| Local German production agencies | German-first projects and on-site filming in Germany | Capacity for many languages and the authoring tool you use |
| Custom eLearning developers working internationally (like IKHYA) | English masters with German and other site versions, tool-specific builds, multi-site rollouts | Meeting times, how on-site photos and video are captured, works-council timing |
| Language-learning providers | Teaching employees German or English | They teach a language; they do not build your training courses |
Provider types from our reading of the pages ranking for this search in Germany (October 2026).
Questions to ask any provider
- 01
Can you show a course you built for a manufacturing, pharma or other regulated workforce?
- 02
How do you design a German version: text expansion, du or Sie, glossary, in-context review?
- 03
What will you give us for our works council (outline, assessment, LMS reporting)?
- 04
How does the course check understanding, and how do learners ask questions?
- 05
Which SCORM or xAPI version will you deliver, and will you test it in our LMS?
- 06
Will we own the editable source files?
- 07
If you process learner data, will you sign a GDPR processor contract?
- 08
When are calls held? Germany runs on CET (UTC+1) and CEST (UTC+2) in summer.
FAQ
No single rule covers every course. The Works Constitution Act gives the works council consultation rights on training programs, participation in how in-company training is carried out, and co-determination on technical devices designed to monitor performance. Your legal team and works council decide what applies to your course and LMS.
eLearning can deliver the knowledge part, but DGUV Regel 100-001 says self-study alone is not enough: understanding must be checked and learners must be able to ask questions. Some work steps may also need hands-on instruction, so a blended setup is common for German sites. IKHYA builds Unterweisung courses for German sites on that basis: modules built from your risk assessment, a check of understanding, a named contact for questions and LMS records for the yearly documentation, with hands-on steps kept on site.
Read more: Safety instruction (Unterweisung): where eLearning fits
Usually not. The BFSG covers certain services provided to consumers after June 28, 2025, and internal employee training is not a consumer service. It can matter for learning you sell or offer to consumers, such as a customer academy, so check that case with your legal team.
Many international teams in Germany use English at head office, while frontline staff often need German. The DGUV rules ask for safety instruction in an understandable language. A common setup is one English master with a German version and other site languages built from the same source.
It depends on course length, interactivity, voiceover, the number of languages and your review rounds. Your free quote from IKHYA includes a recommended route and a timeline for your project.
Yes, if your LMS supports SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004 or xAPI. LMS platforms we have delivered courses to include Moodle, TalentLMS, Docebo and Cornerstone, and we set up, configure and support these platforms.
Not necessarily. A local agency suits German-first projects with on-site filming. An international custom developer suits English masters with German and other language versions across several sites. Compare how each handles languages, works-council needs, LMS testing and meeting times.
Read more: How to choose between eLearning companies in Germany
Plan Your Next Course for Germany
Tell us about your audience, sites, languages and LMS. Your free quote includes a recommended route and a timeline.
Large program or tender? Submit an RFP Email: info@ikhya.com
