Industrial electrician to electrician
An industrial electrician already meets 76% of what the electrician role asks for. The move turns on 3 required skills not yet in the profile.
30.6/ 100
1 How much of what an electrician is expected to do is already part of an industrial 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 electrician role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An electrician role treats 18 of its required skills as things an industrial electrician already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- building systems monitoring technology
- electrical testing methods
- electrical wiring plans
- electricity
- follow health and safety procedures in construction
- inspect electrical supplies
What stands in the way is 3 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 38 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An electrician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an industrial electrician background worth leading with.
- already held install lightning protection system working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held install electricity sockets working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held solar panel mounting systems engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held install electric switches working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held install circuit breakers working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held building systems monitoring technology engineering, manufacturing and construction
All 38 carried skills, including the 18 the electrician role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 17 missing skills fall into 6 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 work in a construction team required
- optional, not held order construction supplies optional
- still to learn test electrical equipment required
- optional, not held install smart devices optional
- still to learn bind wire required
- optional, not held strip wire optional
- optional, not held process incoming construction supplies optional
- optional, not held write records for repairs optional
- optional, not held calculate needs for construction supplies optional
- optional, not held measure electrical characteristics optional
- optional, not held read standard blueprints optional
- optional, not held artificial lighting systems optional
- optional, not held control systems optional
- optional, not held electrical wiring diagrams optional
- optional, not held maintain electronic equipment optional
- optional, not held use diagnostic tools for electronic repairs optional
- optional, not held use specialised tools in electric repairs optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an electrician role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 work in a construction team practise this
- 02 bind wire practise this
- 03 test electrical equipment 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 38 skills that carry over
- already held building systems monitoring technology knowledge
- already held electrical testing methods knowledge
- already held electrical wiring plans knowledge
- already held electricity knowledge
- already held follow health and safety procedures in construction skill
- 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 install lightning protection system skill
- already held keep records of work progress skill
- already held maintain electrical equipment skill
- already held react to events in time-critical environments skill
- already held resolve equipment malfunctions skill
- already held splice cable skill
- already held use measurement instruments skill
- already held use precision tools skill
- already held use safety equipment in construction skill
- already held answer requests for quotation skill
- already held assemble electrical components skill
- already held assemble electronic units skill
- already held automation technology knowledge
- already held cut wall chases skill
- already held electrical wire accessories knowledge
- already held electromechanics knowledge
- already held electronics knowledge
- already held energy performance of buildings knowledge
- already held inspect construction supplies skill
- already held install circuit breakers skill
- already held program firmware skill
- already held provide power connection from bus bars skill
- already held repair wiring skill
- already held replace defect components skill
- already held solar panel mounting systems knowledge
- already held solder electronics skill
- already held troubleshoot skill
- already held use sander skill
- already held write inspection reports skill
14 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held artificial lighting systems optional
- optional, not held install smart devices optional
- optional, not held process incoming construction supplies optional
- optional, not held write records for repairs optional
- optional, not held calculate needs for construction supplies optional
- optional, not held control systems optional
- optional, not held electrical wiring diagrams optional
- optional, not held maintain electronic equipment optional
- optional, not held measure electrical characteristics optional
- optional, not held order construction supplies optional
- optional, not held read standard blueprints optional
- optional, not held strip wire optional
- optional, not held use diagnostic tools for electronic repairs optional
- optional, not held use specialised tools in electric repairs optional
9 held skills the electrician role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role apply coating to electrical equipment skill
- not needed by the target role electric generators knowledge
- not needed by the target role electricity consumption knowledge
- not needed by the target role ensure safety in electrical power operations skill
- not needed by the target role make electrical calculations skill
- not needed by the target role order electrical supplies skill
- not needed by the target role read electricity meter skill
- not needed by the target role test electronic units skill
- not needed by the target role work ergonomically skill
3 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- optional, not held artificial lighting systems optional
- optional, not held control systems optional
- optional, not held electrical wiring diagrams optional
Common questions about this move
Can an industrial electrician become an electrician?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. An industrial electrician already covers 76% of what an electrician is expected to do: 38 skills carry over, 18 of which the electrician role treats as required.
What skills does an industrial electrician need to become an electrician?
3 required skills are missing, plus 14 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is work in a construction team.
How hard is the move from industrial electrician to electrician?
Its learning distance is 30.6 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.