Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Electrician to rolling stock electrician

An electrician already meets 37% of what the rolling stock electrician role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From electrician
37 % overlap
Distant match
To rolling stock electrician
11 You already bring
10 Still to learn
34 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

62.3/ 100

1 How much of what a rolling stock electrician is expected to do is already part of an electrician’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 rolling stock electrician role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A rolling stock electrician role treats 7 of its required skills as things an electrician already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • electrical wiring plans
  • electricity
  • electronics
  • install electrical and electronic equipment
  • maintain electrical equipment
  • read standard blueprints

What stands in the way is 10 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 11 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A rolling stock electrician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an electrician background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held use diagnostic tools for electronic repairs working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held use specialised tools in electric repairs working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held install electrical and electronic equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held electrical wiring plans engineering, manufacturing and construction
  • already held write records for repairs information skills
  • already held maintain electrical equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment

All 11 carried skills, including the 7 the rolling stock electrician role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 23 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.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 engineering, manufacturing and construction 3 required
  • still to learn electrical systems used in transportation required
  • still to learn mechanics required
  • still to learn mechanics of trains required
02 working with machinery and specialised equipment 2 required, 2 supplementary
  • still to learn install electronic communication devices on trains required
  • still to learn use testing equipment required
  • optional, not held ensure maintenance of trains optional
  • optional, not held install transport equipment lighting optional
03 assisting and caring 2 required
  • still to learn apply health and safety standards required
  • still to learn wear appropriate protective gear required
04 constructing 1 required, 5 supplementary
  • still to learn perform test run required
  • optional, not held detect malfunctions in train control systems optional
  • optional, not held apply soldering techniques optional
  • optional, not held conduct performance tests optional
  • optional, not held operate soldering equipment optional
  • optional, not held test electronic units optional
05 handling and moving 1 required, 2 supplementary
  • still to learn fasten components required
  • optional, not held follow procedures to control substances hazardous to health optional
  • optional, not held position vehicles for maintenance and repair optional
06 information skills 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn use technical documentation required
  • optional, not held check train engines optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a rolling stock electrician role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 11 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held electrical wiring plans knowledge
  • already held electricity knowledge
  • already held electronics knowledge
  • already held install electrical and electronic equipment skill
  • already held maintain electrical equipment skill
  • already held read standard blueprints skill
  • already held troubleshoot skill
  • already held electromechanics knowledge
  • already held use diagnostic tools for electronic repairs skill
  • already held use specialised tools in electric repairs skill
  • already held write records for repairs skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held identify customer's needs optional
  • optional, not held ensure compliance with warranty contracts optional
08 management skills 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held create technical plans optional
13 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held check train engines optional
  • optional, not held detect malfunctions in train control systems optional
  • optional, not held ensure maintenance of trains optional
  • optional, not held follow procedures to control substances hazardous to health optional
  • optional, not held identify customer's needs optional
  • optional, not held install transport equipment lighting optional
  • optional, not held position vehicles for maintenance and repair optional
  • optional, not held apply soldering techniques optional
  • optional, not held conduct performance tests optional
  • optional, not held create technical plans optional
  • optional, not held ensure compliance with warranty contracts optional
  • optional, not held operate soldering equipment optional
  • optional, not held test electronic units optional
44 held skills the rolling stock electrician role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role answer requests for quotation skill
  • not needed by the target role artificial lighting systems knowledge
  • not needed by the target role assemble electrical components skill
  • not needed by the target role assemble electronic units skill
  • not needed by the target role automation technology knowledge
  • not needed by the target role bind wire skill
  • not needed by the target role building systems monitoring technology knowledge
  • not needed by the target role calculate needs for construction supplies skill
  • not needed by the target role control systems knowledge
  • not needed by the target role cut wall chases skill
  • not needed by the target role electrical testing methods knowledge
  • not needed by the target role electrical wire accessories knowledge
  • not needed by the target role electrical wiring diagrams knowledge
  • not needed by the target role energy performance of buildings knowledge
  • not needed by the target role follow health and safety procedures in construction skill
  • not needed by the target role inspect construction supplies skill
  • not needed by the target role inspect electrical supplies skill
  • not needed by the target role install circuit breakers skill
  • not needed by the target role install electric switches skill
  • not needed by the target role install electricity sockets skill
  • not needed by the target role install lightning protection system skill
  • not needed by the target role install smart devices skill
  • not needed by the target role keep records of work progress skill
  • not needed by the target role maintain electronic equipment skill
  • not needed by the target role measure electrical characteristics skill
  • not needed by the target role order construction supplies skill
  • not needed by the target role process incoming construction supplies skill
  • not needed by the target role program firmware skill
  • not needed by the target role provide power connection from bus bars skill
  • not needed by the target role react to events in time-critical environments skill
  • not needed by the target role repair wiring skill
  • not needed by the target role replace defect components skill
  • not needed by the target role resolve equipment malfunctions skill
  • not needed by the target role solar panel mounting systems knowledge
  • not needed by the target role solder electronics skill
  • not needed by the target role splice cable skill
  • not needed by the target role strip wire skill
  • not needed by the target role test electrical equipment skill
  • not needed by the target role use measurement instruments skill
  • not needed by the target role use precision tools skill

4 further entries not listed here

3 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to pick up Tier
  • still to learn electrical systems used in transportation required
  • still to learn mechanics required
  • still to learn mechanics of trains required
Index
FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can an electrician become a rolling stock electrician?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. An electrician already covers 37% of what a rolling stock electrician is expected to do: 11 skills carry over, 7 of which the rolling stock electrician role treats as required.

What skills does an electrician need to become a rolling stock electrician?

10 required skills are missing, plus 13 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is electrical systems used in transportation.

How hard is the move from electrician to rolling stock electrician?

Its learning distance is 62.3 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

Note

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.