Bridge inspector to tunnel boring machine operator
A bridge inspector already meets 29% of what the tunnel boring machine operator role asks for. The move turns on 9 required skills not yet in the profile.
69.6/ 100
1 How much of what a tunnel boring machine operator is expected to do is already part of a bridge inspector’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the tunnel boring machine operator role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A tunnel boring machine operator role treats 5 of its required skills as things a bridge inspector already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- follow health and safety procedures in construction
- mechanical systems
- mechanics
- use safety equipment in construction
- work ergonomically
What stands in the way is 9 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 6 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A tunnel boring machine operator role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a bridge inspector background worth leading with.
- already held mechanical systems engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held set up temporary construction site infrastructure constructing
- already held use safety equipment in construction assisting and caring
- already held follow health and safety procedures in construction assisting and caring
- already held work ergonomically assisting and caring
- already held mechanics engineering, manufacturing and construction
All 6 carried skills, including the 5 the tunnel boring machine operator role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 20 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn drive tunnel boring machine required
- still to learn operate theodolite required
- still to learn switch tunnel boring machine modes required
- still to learn tend boring machine required
- optional, not held determine tunnel boring machine speed optional
- optional, not held monitor tunnel boring machine supplies optional
- optional, not held coordinate drilling optional
- optional, not held operate excavator optional
- optional, not held drive mobile heavy construction equipment optional
- still to learn tunnel boring machine console required
- optional, not held electricity optional
- optional, not held machinery load capacity optional
- still to learn react to events in time-critical environments required
- optional, not held work in a construction team optional
- still to learn install tunnel segments required
- optional, not held keep heavy construction equipment in good condition optional
- still to learn transport construction supplies required
- still to learn prevent damage to utility infrastructure required
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a tunnel boring machine operator role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 drive tunnel boring machine practise this
- 02 operate theodolite practise this
- 03 switch tunnel boring machine modes practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 6 skills that carry over
- already held follow health and safety procedures in construction skill
- already held mechanical systems knowledge
- already held mechanics knowledge
- already held use safety equipment in construction skill
- already held work ergonomically skill
- already held set up temporary construction site infrastructure skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held monitor excavated material optional
- optional, not held keep personal administration optional
11 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held determine tunnel boring machine speed optional
- optional, not held monitor excavated material optional
- optional, not held monitor tunnel boring machine supplies optional
- optional, not held coordinate drilling optional
- optional, not held operate excavator optional
- optional, not held work in a construction team optional
- optional, not held drive mobile heavy construction equipment optional
- optional, not held electricity optional
- optional, not held keep heavy construction equipment in good condition optional
- optional, not held keep personal administration optional
- optional, not held machinery load capacity optional
23 held skills the tunnel boring machine operator role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advise on bridge inspection skill
- not needed by the target role advise on bridge replacement skill
- not needed by the target role apply a protective layer skill
- not needed by the target role check compatibility of materials skill
- not needed by the target role construction product regulation knowledge
- not needed by the target role estimate repair priority skill
- not needed by the target role identify defects in concrete skill
- not needed by the target role identify external risks to bridge integrity skill
- not needed by the target role identify wood warp skill
- not needed by the target role inspect construction sites skill
- not needed by the target role inspect road signs skill
- not needed by the target role inspect supplied concrete skill
- not needed by the target role keep records of bridge investigation findings skill
- not needed by the target role operate rust proofing spray gun skill
- not needed by the target role operate welding equipment skill
- not needed by the target role perform underwater bridge inspection skill
- not needed by the target role place temporary road signage skill
- not needed by the target role recognise signs of corrosion skill
- not needed by the target role recognise signs of wood rot skill
- not needed by the target role remove rust from motor vehicles skill
- not needed by the target role test concrete skill
- not needed by the target role types of wood knowledge
- not needed by the target role wood cuts knowledge
3 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn tunnel boring machine console required
- optional, not held electricity optional
- optional, not held machinery load capacity optional
Common questions about this move
Can a bridge inspector become a tunnel boring machine operator?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A bridge inspector already covers 29% of what a tunnel boring machine operator is expected to do: 6 skills carry over, 5 of which the tunnel boring machine operator role treats as required.
What skills does a bridge inspector need to become a tunnel boring machine operator?
9 required skills are missing, plus 11 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by working with machinery and specialised equipment. The single most important is drive tunnel boring machine.
How hard is the move from bridge inspector to tunnel boring machine operator?
Its learning distance is 69.6 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.