Engine minder to ship assistant engineer
An engine minder already meets 35% of what the ship assistant engineer role asks for. The move turns on 17 required skills not yet in the profile.
70.2/ 100
1 How much of what a ship assistant engineer is expected to do is already part of an engine minder’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 ship assistant engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A ship assistant engineer role treats 9 of its required skills as things an engine minder already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- electrical systems used in transportation
- engine components
- maintain vessel engine room
- moor vessels
- operate vessel engine room
- operation of different engines
What stands in the way is 17 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 12 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A ship assistant engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an engine minder background worth leading with.
- already held operate vessel engine room working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held apply vessel engine regulations assisting and caring
- already held detect malfunctions in engines constructing
- already held prepare engine room for operation working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held maintain vessel engine room constructing
- already held moor vessels working with machinery and specialised equipment
All 12 carried skills, including the 9 the ship assistant engineer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 21 missing skills fall into 10 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 manage on-board water systems required
- still to learn manage ship electrical systems required
- still to learn manage vessel engines and systems required
- still to learn operate diesel propulsion plants required
- still to learn operate sewage treatment plans on ships required
- still to learn prepare lifeboats required
- still to learn repair vessel mechanical systems required
- still to learn provide support in vessel machinery systems required
- still to learn perform routine lube oil tests required
- still to learn maintain vessel inventory required
- optional, not held stay up-to-date with maritime transportation technology optional
- still to learn operate fire extinguishers required
- still to learn use different types of fire extinguishers required
- still to learn use maritime English required
- optional, not held advise on maritime regulations optional
- still to learn perform routine maintenance of ship engines required
- still to learn regulation on the discharge of raw materials into the sea required
4 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a ship assistant engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 manage on-board water systems practise this
- 02 manage ship electrical systems practise this
- 03 perform routine lube oil tests 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 12 skills that carry over
- already held electrical systems used in transportation knowledge
- already held engine components knowledge
- already held maintain vessel engine room skill
- already held moor vessels skill
- already held operate vessel engine room skill
- already held operation of different engines knowledge
- already held prepare engine room for operation skill
- already held principles of mechanical engineering knowledge
- already held unmoor vessels skill
- already held act reliably skill
- already held apply vessel engine regulations skill
- already held detect malfunctions in engines skill
The 4 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn perform bunkering required
- still to learn Global Maritime Distress and Safety System required
- optional, not held International Maritime Organisation conventions optional
- optional, not held physics optional
4 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held International Maritime Organisation conventions optional
- optional, not held advise on maritime regulations optional
- optional, not held stay up-to-date with maritime transportation technology optional
- optional, not held physics optional
21 held skills the ship assistant engineer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role apply regulations on cargo transport operations skill
- not needed by the target role clean parts of vessels skill
- not needed by the target role comply with checklists skill
- not needed by the target role distinguish various types of ships skill
- not needed by the target role electronics knowledge
- not needed by the target role ensure vessel compliance with regulations skill
- not needed by the target role evaluate engine performance skill
- not needed by the target role execute safety assurance exercises skill
- not needed by the target role have computer literacy skill
- not needed by the target role inland waterway ship building knowledge
- not needed by the target role manage vessel control systems skill
- not needed by the target role monitor pumping system operations skill
- not needed by the target role perform services in a flexible manner skill
- not needed by the target role prepare equipment for navigation operations skill
- not needed by the target role prepare main engines for navigation operations skill
- not needed by the target role prevent damage to electrical devices on board skill
- not needed by the target role principles of combustion engines knowledge
- not needed by the target role swim skill
- not needed by the target role use different communication channels skill
- not needed by the target role vessel fuels knowledge
- not needed by the target role work in a water transport team 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 regulation on the discharge of raw materials into the sea required
- still to learn Global Maritime Distress and Safety System required
- optional, not held International Maritime Organisation conventions optional
- optional, not held physics optional
Common questions about this move
Can an engine minder become a ship assistant engineer?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. An engine minder already covers 35% of what a ship assistant engineer is expected to do: 12 skills carry over, 9 of which the ship assistant engineer role treats as required.
What skills does an engine minder need to become a ship assistant engineer?
17 required skills are missing, plus 4 optional ones. They fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by working with machinery and specialised equipment. The single most important is manage on-board water systems.
How hard is the move from engine minder to ship assistant engineer?
Its learning distance is 70.2 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.