Templates and records · ISO 9001 · Clause 7.2

ISO 9001 training and competence record

What the auditor wants to see is not a certificate of attendance, but that everyone who affects quality is competent for their role and that the training actually achieved something.

In one sentence

The training and competence record shows that everyone who affects quality performance is competent on the basis of education, training or experience, what was done when competence was lacking and whether it worked, because clause 7.2 of ISO 9001 requires evidence of competence to be retained.

Content reviewed on 17 October 2026

Where the standard requires it: ISO 9001 · Clause 7.2 Clauses are cited using the numbering of the 2015 edition, the same one the Academy uses; certificates issued against it remain valid during the transition to the 2026 edition.
Type of information: Mandatory record Documented information to be retained (7.2)
Who fills it in: Human resources and each area manager The manager assesses competence; HR keeps the file
When: On joining and after each training activity And whenever the role, equipment or requirements change
How long it is kept: Set by the organisation It is reasonable to keep it while the person holds the role and for some time afterwards, to answer for work already delivered (7.5.3.2)

What the standard requires

What ISO 9001 demands and what it leaves to your judgement

The organisation determines the competence needed by people doing work that affects the performance and effectiveness of the system, and ensures they have it on the basis of education, training or experience.

Where it is lacking, action must be taken to acquire it — training, mentoring, reassignment or recruitment — and the effectiveness of what was done must be evaluated. What is retained is evidence of competence, not merely of course attendance.

Clause 7.3 adds awareness: staff must know the policy, the objectives that affect them and the consequences of not conforming. It is usually checked by asking questions during the audit. In the 2026 edition, according to the Global ACI transition document, awareness also covers the organisation's quality culture and ethical behaviour.

Read it in context: Support, in the ISO 9001 Academy

Structure

Fields the template should include

Person and role
Competence required for the role: training, experience, authorisations
Evidence for each requirement: qualifications, certificates, proven experience
Needs identified
Action to address them: course, mentoring, reassignment
Date and duration of training
Evaluation of effectiveness: method, date, result and who evaluates
Expiry of authorisations or certifications
Awareness (7.3): policy, objectives that affect them and, in the 2026 edition, quality culture and ethical behaviour

Example

Example: newly hired quality inspector

Company, people and figures are fictitious: the example only shows what a properly completed record looks like.

Field	Content
Person and role	A. Fletcher (fictitious person) · goods-in quality inspector
Competence required	Higher technical vocational qualification, use of callipers and micrometer, drawing reading, inspection procedure
Evidence	Higher technical diploma in mechanical manufacturing; 2 years' experience in metrology
Need	Unfamiliar with the inspection procedure and internal sampling plans
Action	8 hours of in-house training and 3 weeks of mentoring with the senior inspector
Effectiveness	Supervised inspection of 20 batches: 20 decisions matching the mentor's · 30 April · effective
Authorisation	Authorised to release batches from 2 May 2026

At the audit

Mistakes auditors commonly flag

There are only attendance certificates; the competence required for the role is not recorded.
Training effectiveness is "evaluated" with a course satisfaction questionnaire.
New staff working without evidence of competence or supervision.
Expired authorisations or licences with no reminder.
Subcontractors or temporary workers carrying out quality tasks outside the record.

In Kimobox

How this record is kept in Kimobox

1Each employee's training and competence are recorded on their employee portal profile.
2A training matrix by role shows what each person is missing.
3Expiry dates for courses and certifications trigger reminders before they lapse.
4Sessions, exams and results sit in the same file, with reports by department for management review.

Frequently asked questions

What people ask us before getting started

Is it enough to keep course certificates?

No. The certificate proves attendance; ISO 9001 asks for evidence of competence for the role and, when someone is trained, an evaluation of whether the action was effective. Supervised practice or an exam is stronger evidence.

Is an annual training plan mandatory?

The standard does not require one by that name. It requires you to determine the competence needed and to act where it is lacking. An annual plan is the usual way of organising it.

What does ISO 9001:2026 add to awareness?

According to the Global ACI transition document, clause 7.3 includes the organisation's quality culture and ethical behaviour among the things staff must be aware of. Covering it in induction and recording that it has been explained is the simplest way to meet it.

How is training effectiveness evaluated?

By checking that the person does the job they were trained for properly: on-the-job observation, a practical test, the indicators for their area or a review of their first records. What matters is setting the criterion before the training.

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Sources

Where each figure comes from

References to the official text in force. If a standard is revised, this page is updated and the review date says so.

ISO 9001:2015 — Quality management systems. Requirements ISO · 2015 ed., with Amd 1:2024
ISO 9001:2026 — Quality management systems. Requirements ISO · 2026 ed., published 16 September 2026
Global ACI-TECH-3-TR 2029-09-30 (M), transition requirements for ISO 9001:2026 Global ACI (successor to IAF and ILAC) · Version 1.0, 4 September 2026