6.2.1 General (1994 clause, 4.18)
Personnel performing work affecting product quality shall be competent on the basis of appropriate education, training, skills and experience. (From BS EN ISO 9001:2000)

This clause is about proper planning and is generally the same as the 1994 standard (4.18) with one major difference. The 1994 standard required that an organization needed qualified people to perform their various jobs. The new standard takes that concept to a new level, now requiring "competence" on the basis of appropriate education, training, skills and experience. In fact, "competence" is now given a formal definition in ISO 9000:2000, meaning "demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills."

"Competence" was defined so clearly in the new standard because sometimes a person can be well educated and well trained but have zero competence at doing the job. ISO 9001:2000 now requires that an organization evaluate the qualification criteria of personnel before hiring or promoting them. The competence concept is a direct attempt for the organization to take preventive action before a problem arises.

Most companies already have training records and procedures, so creating more isn't a necessity. But during the planning stage of the quality management system, organizations should determine the amount of documentation needed for conformance to this clause and follow it accordingly. Organizations should pay particular attention to Clause 6.2.2.e, which states that the organization shall "maintain appropriate records of education, training, skills and experience." Most organizations likely will have training records only.