Electrical mechanic to industrial electrician
An electrical mechanic already meets 67% of what the industrial electrician role asks for. The move turns on 5 required skills not yet in the profile.
38/ 100
1 How much of what an industrial 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 industrial electrician role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An industrial 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 wiring plans
- electricity
- inspect electrical supplies
- install electric switches
- install electrical and electronic equipment
- install electricity sockets
What stands in the way is 5 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 30 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An industrial 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 order electrical supplies communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held install electricity sockets working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held make electrical calculations information skills
- already held install electric switches working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held apply coating to electrical equipment constructing
- already held install circuit breakers working with machinery and specialised equipment
All 30 carried skills, including the 12 the industrial electrician role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 17 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 follow health and safety procedures in construction required
- still to learn use safety equipment in construction required
- optional, not held ensure safety in electrical power operations optional
- still to learn building systems monitoring technology required
- optional, not held solar panel mounting systems optional
- optional, not held electricity consumption optional
- optional, not held energy performance of buildings optional
- still to learn inspect construction supplies required
- optional, not held keep records of work progress optional
- still to learn react to events in time-critical environments required
- optional, not held use sander optional
- optional, not held assemble electrical components optional
- optional, not held cut wall chases optional
- optional, not held install lightning protection system optional
- optional, not held read electricity meter optional
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an industrial 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 follow health and safety procedures in construction practise this
- 03 inspect construction supplies 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 30 skills that carry over
- 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 resolve equipment malfunctions skill
- already held splice cable skill
- already held test electronic units skill
- already held use measurement instruments skill
- already held use precision tools skill
- already held work ergonomically skill
- already held answer requests for quotation skill
- already held apply coating to electrical equipment skill
- already held assemble electronic units skill
- already held automation technology knowledge
- already held electric generators knowledge
- already held electrical testing methods knowledge
- already held electrical wire accessories knowledge
- already held electromechanics knowledge
- already held electronics knowledge
- already held install circuit breakers skill
- already held maintain electrical equipment skill
- already held make electrical calculations skill
- already held order electrical supplies 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
- optional, not held solder electronics optional
- optional, not held program firmware optional
12 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held install lightning protection system optional
- optional, not held read electricity meter optional
- optional, not held solar panel mounting systems optional
- optional, not held use sander optional
- optional, not held assemble electrical components optional
- optional, not held cut wall chases optional
- optional, not held electricity consumption optional
- optional, not held energy performance of buildings optional
- optional, not held ensure safety in electrical power operations optional
- optional, not held keep records of work progress optional
- optional, not held program firmware optional
- optional, not held solder electronics optional
19 held skills the industrial electrician role does not ask for
- 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 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 mechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role operate soldering equipment 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 wear appropriate protective gear skill
4 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 solar panel mounting systems optional
- optional, not held electricity consumption optional
- optional, not held energy performance of buildings optional
Common questions about this move
Can an electrical mechanic become an industrial electrician?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. An electrical mechanic already covers 67% of what an industrial electrician is expected to do: 30 skills carry over, 12 of which the industrial electrician role treats as required.
What skills does an electrical mechanic need to become an industrial electrician?
5 required skills are missing, plus 12 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by assisting and caring. The single most important is building systems monitoring technology.
How hard is the move from electrical mechanic to industrial electrician?
Its learning distance is 38 out of 100, which is the moderate 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.