Driller to shotfirer
A driller already meets 29% of what the shotfirer role asks for. The move turns on 12 required skills not yet in the profile.
68.5/ 100
1 How much of what a shotfirer is expected to do is already part of a driller’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 shotfirer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A shotfirer role treats 4 of its required skills as things a driller already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- check borehole depth
- follow health and safety procedures in construction
- troubleshoot
- work ergonomically
What stands in the way is 12 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 7 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A shotfirer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a driller background worth leading with.
- already held check borehole depth constructing
- already held health and safety hazards underground services
- already held impact of geological factors on mining operations engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held provide first aid assisting and caring
- already held follow health and safety procedures in construction assisting and caring
- already held work ergonomically assisting and caring
All 7 carried skills, including the 4 the shotfirer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 13 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 examine area after blast required
- still to learn examine prospective blast area required
- still to learn report misfires required
- optional, not held report outcome of blast optional
- still to learn safely detonate explosives required
- still to learn signal for explosion required
- still to learn explosives required
- still to learn electricity required
- still to learn handle explosives required
- still to learn insert charges into drill holes required
- still to learn make independent operating decisions required
- still to learn marksmanship required
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a shotfirer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 connect blasting circuit practise this
- 02 examine area after blast practise this
- 03 examine prospective blast area 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 7 skills that carry over
- already held check borehole depth skill
- already held follow health and safety procedures in construction skill
- already held troubleshoot skill
- already held work ergonomically skill
- already held health and safety hazards underground knowledge
- already held impact of geological factors on mining operations knowledge
- already held provide first aid skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- still to learn connect blasting circuit required
1 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held report outcome of blast optional
12 held skills the shotfirer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role coordinate drilling skill
- not needed by the target role inspect drilling equipment skill
- not needed by the target role inspect water wells skill
- not needed by the target role maintain drilling equipment skill
- not needed by the target role mechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role operate core drilling equipment skill
- not needed by the target role operate drilling equipment skill
- not needed by the target role operate drilling jumbo skill
- not needed by the target role position drills skill
- not needed by the target role record drilling skill
- not needed by the target role set up drilling rigs skill
- not needed by the target role transport drilling rigs skill
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 explosives required
- still to learn marksmanship required
- still to learn electricity required
Common questions about this move
Can a driller become a shotfirer?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A driller already covers 29% of what a shotfirer is expected to do: 7 skills carry over, 4 of which the shotfirer role treats as required.
What skills does a driller need to become a shotfirer?
12 required skills are missing, plus 1 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information skills. The single most important is connect blasting circuit.
How hard is the move from driller to shotfirer?
Its learning distance is 68.5 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.