Generally speaking compulsory courses that are undertaken in the 'normal running' of an organisation are usually paid for by the company, induction training for example.

However organisations are able to claim back from employees costs that they have incurred for professional and NVQ qualifications. For example, the level of qualification usually dictates the qualifying period for repayment. This should be clearly written into employee contacts, clearly stating what the employer can and can't claim back, or have employees read and sign a training agreement, so they know exactly where they stand.

See also: Good customer service pays off online