Table 1Transition record

food techniciantofood production operator

A food technician already meets 48% of what the food production operator role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.

From food technician

48%

Overlap1

To food production operator

30 Skills carried over

8 Required, not held

63.4 Difficulty2

Career overlap Partial match

48%

Learning distance Substantial retraining

63.4/ 100

Easy adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change Hard

1 Share of the food production operator role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the food technician profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Why

Why this move works

A food production operator role treats 15 of its required skills as things a food technician already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

administer ingredients in food production
apply GMP
apply HACCP
apply requirements concerning manufacturing of food and beverages
be at ease in unsafe environments
carry out checks of production plant equipment

What stands in the way is 8 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 30 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A food production operator role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a food technician background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held food ethics arts and humanities
already held cleaning of reusable packaging services
already held promote ethical eating communication, collaboration and creativity
already held monitor ingredient storage information skills
already held monitor the production line information skills
already held monitor coating specifications information skills

All 30 carried skills, including the 15 the food production operator role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 47 missing skills fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 handling and moving 2 required, 9 supplementary

required, not held ensure sanitation required
required, not held lift heavy weights required

optional, not held apply preservation treatments optional
optional, not held check bottles for packaging optional
optional, not held conduct cleaning in place optional
optional, not held dispose food waste optional
optional, not held dispose non-food waste within the food industry optional
optional, not held label samples optional
optional, not held mould chocolate optional
optional, not held rectify spirits optional
optional, not held perform cleaning duties optional

02 management skills 2 required

required, not held support management of raw materials required
required, not held follow production schedule required

03 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 required, 11 supplementary

required, not held disassemble equipment required

optional, not held administer materials to tea bag machines optional
optional, not held adjust drying process to goods optional
optional, not held apply different dehydration processes of fruits and vegetables optional
optional, not held apply extruding techniques optional
optional, not held execute chilling processes to food products optional
optional, not held monitor almond blanching process optional
optional, not held monitor filling machines optional
optional, not held perform carbonation processes optional
optional, not held tend bottle-washing machine optional
optional, not held operate forklift optional
optional, not held tend packaging machines optional

04 engineering, manufacturing and construction 1 required, 6 supplementary

required, not held food authentication techniques required

optional, not held condiment manufacturing processes optional
optional, not held food homogenisation optional
optional, not held food storage optional
optional, not held hydrogenation processes for edible oils optional
optional, not held milk production process optional
optional, not held modern brewing systems optional

05 assisting and caring 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held ensure refrigeration of food in the supply chain required

optional, not held follow evaluation procedures of materials at reception optional
optional, not held handle kitchen equipment optional

06 services 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held food fraud required

optional, not held health, safety and hygiene legislation optional

4 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a food production operator 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 30 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held administer ingredients in food production skill
already held apply GMP skill
already held apply HACCP skill
already held apply requirements concerning manufacturing of food and beverages skill
already held be at ease in unsafe environments skill
already held carry out checks of production plant equipment skill
already held clean food and beverage machinery skill
already held food ethics knowledge
already held food safety principles knowledge
already held food waste monitoring systems knowledge
already held keep inventory of goods in production skill
already held listen actively skill
already held monitor ingredient storage skill
already held monitor the production line skill
already held promote ethical eating skill
already held analyse samples of food and beverages skill
already held check quality of products on the production line skill
already held check quality of raw materials skill
already held circular economy knowledge
already held cleaning of reusable packaging knowledge
already held energy efficiency knowledge
already held ensure compliance with environmental legislation in food production skill
already held fermentation processes of food knowledge
already held follow hygienic procedures during food processing skill
already held food canning production line knowledge
already held mitigate waste of resources skill
already held monitor coating specifications skill
already held operate automated process control skill
already held set up equipment for food production skill
already held use resource-efficient technologies in hospitality skill

The 4 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 information skills 7 supplementary

optional, not held ensure correct goods labelling optional
optional, not held measure sugar refinement optional
optional, not held monitor milled food products optional
optional, not held monitor oil blending process optional
optional, not held monitor sugar uniformity optional
optional, not held weigh materials optional
optional, not held examine production samples optional

08 business, administration and law 1 supplementary

optional, not held project management optional

09 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 supplementary

optional, not held work according to recipe optional

10 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 supplementary

optional, not held centrifugal force optional

39 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held administer materials to tea bag machines optional
optional, not held adjust drying process to goods optional
optional, not held apply different dehydration processes of fruits and vegetables optional
optional, not held apply extruding techniques optional
optional, not held apply preservation treatments optional
optional, not held check bottles for packaging optional
optional, not held condiment manufacturing processes optional
optional, not held conduct cleaning in place optional
optional, not held dispose food waste optional
optional, not held dispose non-food waste within the food industry optional
optional, not held ensure correct goods labelling optional
optional, not held execute chilling processes to food products optional
optional, not held follow evaluation procedures of materials at reception optional
optional, not held food homogenisation optional
optional, not held food storage optional
optional, not held handle kitchen equipment optional
optional, not held hydrogenation processes for edible oils optional
optional, not held label samples optional
optional, not held measure sugar refinement optional
optional, not held milk production process optional
optional, not held modern brewing systems optional
optional, not held monitor almond blanching process optional
optional, not held monitor filling machines optional
optional, not held monitor milled food products optional
optional, not held monitor oil blending process optional
optional, not held monitor sugar uniformity optional
optional, not held mould chocolate optional
optional, not held perform carbonation processes optional
optional, not held project management optional
optional, not held rectify spirits optional
optional, not held tend bottle-washing machine optional
optional, not held weigh materials optional
optional, not held centrifugal force optional
optional, not held examine production samples optional
optional, not held health, safety and hygiene legislation optional
optional, not held operate forklift optional
optional, not held perform cleaning duties optional
optional, not held tend packaging machines optional
optional, not held work according to recipe optional

50 held skills the food production operator role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role adjust production schedule skill
not needed by the target role analyse packaging requirements skill
not needed by the target role analyse production processes for improvement skill
not needed by the target role analyse work-related written reports skill
not needed by the target role apply control process statistical methods skill
not needed by the target role apply food technology principles skill
not needed by the target role assess the life cycle of resources skill
not needed by the target role assist in the development of standard operating procedures in the food chain skill
not needed by the target role calibrate laboratory equipment skill
not needed by the target role combination of flavours knowledge
not needed by the target role combination of textures knowledge
not needed by the target role develop new food products skill
not needed by the target role ensure finished product meet requirements skill
not needed by the target role ensure full functioning of food plant machinery skill
not needed by the target role ensure public safety and security skill
not needed by the target role evaluate ingredient documentation from suppliers skill
not needed by the target role fermentation processes of beverages knowledge
not needed by the target role follow-up lab results skill
not needed by the target role food and beverage industry knowledge
not needed by the target role food legislation knowledge
not needed by the target role food materials knowledge
not needed by the target role food preservation knowledge
not needed by the target role food product ingredients knowledge
not needed by the target role functional properties of foods knowledge
not needed by the target role handle delivery of raw materials skill
not needed by the target role identify the factors causing changes in food during storage skill
not needed by the target role investigate customer complaints of food products skill
not needed by the target role laboratory-based sciences knowledge
not needed by the target role legislation about animal origin products knowledge
not needed by the target role manage all process engineering activities skill
not needed by the target role manage corrective actions skill
not needed by the target role manage packaging material skill
not needed by the target role manage resources in food manufacturing skill
not needed by the target role molecular gastronomy knowledge
not needed by the target role monitor developments used for food industry skill
not needed by the target role monitor freezing processes skill
not needed by the target role monitor processing conditions skill
not needed by the target role participate in the development of new food products skill
not needed by the target role pathogenic microorganisms in food knowledge
not needed by the target role perform food risk analysis skill

10 further entries not listed here

11 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 acquire Tier

required, not held food authentication techniques required
required, not held food fraud required
optional, not held condiment manufacturing processes optional
optional, not held food homogenisation optional
optional, not held food storage optional
optional, not held hydrogenation processes for edible oils optional
optional, not held milk production process optional
optional, not held modern brewing systems optional
optional, not held project management optional
optional, not held centrifugal force optional
optional, not held health, safety and hygiene legislation optional

Index

Other moves recorded from food technician

Full index of moves from food technician

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.