Where a sole and heel operator can go next
5 destinations recorded, ranked by how much of the target role a sole and heel operator already meets. The closer to the top of Table 1, the less there is to learn.
Sole and heel operators attach soles or heels to the footwear by stitching, cementing or nailing. They may work with several machines, for example for slipping the lasts, or for roughing, dusting or attaching heels. They also operate various machines both for stitched or cemented constructions.
Also known as heel nailing machine operator, shoe cementer, heel nailing machine tender, sole cementer, sole blacker, sole stitcher.
Plant and machine operators and assemblers 18 skills on file 5 career moves 5 above 60% overlap Closest: hand lasting operator, 74%
- 70% and above · short step
- 50 to 70% · real move
- Below 50% · substantial retraining
Table 2 · What the job itself asks for
A sole and heel operator needs 13 required skills and areas of knowledge. These 10 are the ones fewest other jobs share, so they say the most about the work.
- footwear bottoms pre-assembly engineering, manufacturing and construction
- apply footwear uppers pre-assembling techniques handling and moving
- assembling processes and techniques for cemented footwear construction engineering, manufacturing and construction
- apply footwear bottoms pre-assembling techniques handling and moving
- apply assembling techniques for cemented footwear construction handling and moving
- apply footwear finishing techniques handling and moving
- apply stitching techniques working with machinery and specialised equipment
- footwear equipments engineering, manufacturing and construction
- footwear machinery engineering, manufacturing and construction
- footwear manufacturing technology engineering, manufacturing and construction
Table 3 · Jobs that lead here
The reverse view: occupations whose skills already cover much of what a sole and heel operator does. The figure is how much of this job each one brings.
- footwear assembly supervisor 79% covered · difficulty 21.7
- orthopaedic footwear technician 79% covered · difficulty 21.7
- pre-lasting operator 79% covered · difficulty 21.7
- shoemaker 79% covered · difficulty 21.7
- footwear production manager 75% covered · difficulty 26
- footwear production supervisor 75% covered · difficulty 26
- bespoke footwear technician 73% covered · difficulty 28.3
- footwear maintenance technician 71% covered · difficulty 30.2
- footwear finishing and packing operator 61% covered · difficulty 38.9
- footwear hand sewer 59% covered · difficulty 40.4
Look up another occupation
Sole and heel operator is filed under Plant and machine operators and assemblers, ISCO major group 8. The full index lists all ten groups.
How these figures were compiled
Overlap is how much of the target role is already part of a sole and heel operator’s work. It is directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. Every entry above opens the full comparison for that move: what carries over, what is missing, and where to start. The full method.