Electrical mechanic to electrician
An electrical mechanic already meets 49% of what the electrician role asks for. The move turns on 9 required skills not yet in the profile.
57.2/ 100
1 How much of what an electrician is expected to do is already part of an electrical mechanic’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 electrician role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An electrician role treats 12 of its required skills as things an electrical mechanic already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- electrical testing methods
- electrical wiring plans
- electricity
- inspect electrical supplies
- install electric switches
- install electrical and electronic equipment
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 24 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An electrician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an electrical mechanic background worth leading with.
- already held install electricity sockets working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held install electric switches working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held install circuit breakers working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held splice cable working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held electrical wire accessories engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held electrical testing methods engineering, manufacturing and construction
All 24 carried skills, including the 12 the electrician role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 31 missing skills fall into 8 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 work in a construction team required
- still to learn react to events in time-critical environments required
- optional, not held order construction supplies optional
- still to learn follow health and safety procedures in construction required
- still to learn use safety equipment in construction required
- still to learn keep records of work progress required
- optional, not held process incoming construction supplies optional
- optional, not held write records for repairs optional
- optional, not held calculate needs for construction supplies optional
- optional, not held inspect construction supplies optional
- optional, not held measure electrical characteristics optional
- optional, not held read standard blueprints optional
- still to learn building systems monitoring technology required
- optional, not held artificial lighting systems optional
- optional, not held solar panel mounting systems optional
- optional, not held control systems optional
- optional, not held electrical wiring diagrams optional
- optional, not held energy performance of buildings optional
- still to learn bind wire required
- optional, not held use sander optional
- optional, not held assemble electrical components optional
- optional, not held cut wall chases optional
- optional, not held strip wire optional
- still to learn install lightning protection system required
- optional, not held maintain electronic equipment optional
- optional, not held use diagnostic tools for electronic repairs optional
- optional, not held use specialised tools in electric repairs optional
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an electrician role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 building systems monitoring technology study this
- 02 install lightning protection system practise this
- 03 work in a construction team 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 24 skills that carry over
- already held electrical testing methods knowledge
- already held electrical wiring plans knowledge
- already held electricity knowledge
- already held inspect electrical supplies skill
- already held install electric switches skill
- already held install electrical and electronic equipment skill
- already held install electricity sockets skill
- already held maintain electrical equipment skill
- already held resolve equipment malfunctions skill
- already held splice cable skill
- already held use measurement instruments skill
- already held use precision tools skill
- already held answer requests for quotation skill
- already held assemble electronic units skill
- already held automation technology knowledge
- already held electrical wire accessories knowledge
- already held electromechanics knowledge
- already held electronics knowledge
- already held install circuit breakers skill
- already held provide power connection from bus bars skill
- already held repair wiring skill
- already held replace defect components skill
- already held troubleshoot skill
- already held write inspection reports skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn test electrical equipment required
- optional, not held install smart devices optional
- optional, not held solder electronics optional
- optional, not held program firmware optional
22 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held artificial lighting systems optional
- optional, not held install smart devices optional
- optional, not held process incoming construction supplies optional
- optional, not held solar panel mounting systems optional
- optional, not held use sander optional
- optional, not held write records for repairs optional
- optional, not held assemble electrical components optional
- optional, not held calculate needs for construction supplies optional
- optional, not held control systems optional
- optional, not held cut wall chases optional
- optional, not held electrical wiring diagrams optional
- optional, not held energy performance of buildings optional
- optional, not held inspect construction supplies optional
- optional, not held maintain electronic equipment optional
- optional, not held measure electrical characteristics optional
- optional, not held order construction supplies optional
- optional, not held program firmware optional
- optional, not held read standard blueprints optional
- optional, not held solder electronics optional
- optional, not held strip wire optional
- optional, not held use diagnostic tools for electronic repairs optional
- optional, not held use specialised tools in electric repairs optional
25 held skills the electrician role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role apply coating to electrical equipment skill
- not needed by the target role apply safety management skill
- not needed by the target role assemble electromechanical systems skill
- not needed by the target role assemble mechatronic units skill
- not needed by the target role battery components knowledge
- not needed by the target role calibrate electromechanical system skill
- not needed by the target role comply with electrical safety regulations skill
- not needed by the target role electric generators knowledge
- not needed by the target role electrical safety regulations knowledge
- not needed by the target role energy storage systems knowledge
- not needed by the target role fit mechanised equipment skill
- not needed by the target role install automotive electrical equipment skill
- not needed by the target role maintain electrical engines skill
- not needed by the target role maintain electromechanical equipment skill
- not needed by the target role make electrical calculations skill
- not needed by the target role mechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role operate soldering equipment skill
- not needed by the target role order electrical supplies skill
- not needed by the target role repair battery components skill
- not needed by the target role soldering techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role solve technical problems skill
- not needed by the target role test electromechanical systems skill
- not needed by the target role test electronic units skill
- not needed by the target role wear appropriate protective gear skill
- not needed by the target role work ergonomically skill
6 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 building systems monitoring technology required
- optional, not held artificial lighting systems optional
- optional, not held solar panel mounting systems optional
- optional, not held control systems optional
- optional, not held electrical wiring diagrams optional
- optional, not held energy performance of buildings optional
Common questions about this move
Can an electrical mechanic become an electrician?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. An electrical mechanic already covers 49% of what an electrician is expected to do: 24 skills carry over, 12 of which the electrician role treats as required.
What skills does an electrical mechanic need to become an electrician?
9 required skills are missing, plus 22 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is building systems monitoring technology.
How hard is the move from electrical mechanic to electrician?
Its learning distance is 57.2 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.