Greaser to industrial machinery mechanic
A greaser already meets 29% of what the industrial machinery mechanic role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.
68.9/ 100
1 How much of what an industrial machinery mechanic is expected to do is already part of a greaser’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 machinery mechanic role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An industrial machinery mechanic role treats 6 of its required skills as things a greaser already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- conduct routine machinery checks
- perform maintenance on installed equipment
- perform test run
- secure working area
- troubleshoot
- types of lubricants
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 · What you already bring
Of the 8 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An industrial machinery mechanic role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a greaser background worth leading with.
- already held types of lubricants engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held perform maintenance on installed equipment constructing
- already held secure working area assisting and caring
- already held conduct routine machinery checks working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held order supplies communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held consult technical resources information skills
All 8 carried skills, including the 6 the industrial machinery mechanic role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 29 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 electrical wiring plans required
- still to learn electricity required
- still to learn hydraulics required
- still to learn mechanics required
- optional, not held manufacturing of office equipment optional
- optional, not held manufacturing of pumps and compressors optional
- still to learn inspect industrial equipment required
- optional, not held install hydraulic systems optional
- optional, not held install pneumatic systems optional
- optional, not held lay pipe installation optional
- optional, not held operate soldering equipment optional
- optional, not held operate welding equipment optional
- still to learn write records for repairs required
- optional, not held estimate restoration costs optional
- optional, not held prepare compliance documents optional
- optional, not held record test data optional
- still to learn use testing equipment required
- optional, not held install blinds drive systems optional
- optional, not held install electrical and electronic equipment optional
- optional, not held operate industrial equipment optional
- still to learn resolve equipment malfunctions required
- optional, not held provide customer information related to repairs optional
- optional, not held apply technical communication skills optional
- still to learn solve technical problems required
- optional, not held perform ICT troubleshooting optional
4 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an industrial machinery mechanic role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 write records for repairs practise this
- 02 electrical wiring plans study this
- 03 electricity study this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 8 skills that carry over
- already held conduct routine machinery checks skill
- already held perform maintenance on installed equipment skill
- already held perform test run skill
- already held secure working area skill
- already held troubleshoot skill
- already held types of lubricants knowledge
- already held consult technical resources skill
- already held order supplies skill
The 4 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn pneumatics required
- optional, not held dispose of hazardous waste optional
- optional, not held issue sales invoices optional
- optional, not held manufacturing of taps and valves optional
19 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held estimate restoration costs optional
- optional, not held install blinds drive systems optional
- optional, not held issue sales invoices optional
- optional, not held manufacturing of office equipment optional
- optional, not held manufacturing of pumps and compressors optional
- optional, not held manufacturing of taps and valves optional
- optional, not held provide customer information related to repairs optional
- optional, not held apply technical communication skills optional
- optional, not held dispose of hazardous waste optional
- optional, not held install electrical and electronic equipment optional
- optional, not held install hydraulic systems optional
- optional, not held install pneumatic systems optional
- optional, not held lay pipe installation optional
- optional, not held operate industrial equipment optional
- optional, not held operate soldering equipment optional
- optional, not held operate welding equipment optional
- optional, not held perform ICT troubleshooting optional
- optional, not held prepare compliance documents optional
- optional, not held record test data optional
11 held skills the industrial machinery mechanic role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role clean up spilled oil skill
- not needed by the target role industrial tools knowledge
- not needed by the target role lubricate engines skill
- not needed by the target role lubricate rolling stock wheels skill
- not needed by the target role maintain industrial equipment skill
- not needed by the target role maintain machinery skill
- not needed by the target role operate grease gun skill
- not needed by the target role read standard blueprints skill
- not needed by the target role technical drawings knowledge
- not needed by the target role wear appropriate protective gear skill
- not needed by the target role work safely with machines skill
8 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 electrical wiring plans required
- still to learn electricity required
- still to learn hydraulics required
- still to learn mechanics required
- still to learn pneumatics required
- optional, not held manufacturing of office equipment optional
- optional, not held manufacturing of pumps and compressors optional
- optional, not held manufacturing of taps and valves optional
Common questions about this move
Can a greaser become an industrial machinery mechanic?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A greaser already covers 29% of what an industrial machinery mechanic is expected to do: 8 skills carry over, 6 of which the industrial machinery mechanic role treats as required.
What skills does a greaser need to become an industrial machinery mechanic?
10 required skills are missing, plus 19 optional ones. They fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is write records for repairs.
How hard is the move from greaser to industrial machinery mechanic?
Its learning distance is 68.9 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.